Are You Ready?
by rain0205
Summary: Hogwarts has yet to see a different side of magic... TOTAL RENOVATION BEING MADE TO MANY OF THE EARLIER CHAPTERS, IF IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE, I'M WORKING ON THEM, PLEASE BE PATIENT. THANKS!
1. Chapter 1

I only own my characters and plot

...

_You will see him when the timing is right._

_You will be destined for greatness._

_He will bear the unbearable with you._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

In a room filled with only innocence, Zahava DelCotta awoke instantly. She blinked, looking around her room in deep thought. She had been having this dream for years, the same one, the same words. They rang in her head, as if they were trying to send a message to her. Much to her dismay, however, she didn't understand what it meant at all. Who was "him"? And what would be the unbearable? She couldn't think of really being worse off than she already was, so it was confusing to try and comprehend what would be so unbearable. Giving the situation her life was in now, what kind of greatness could come out of it? What was there to escape from? Every event so far was unchangeable and completely out of her control in the first place. It was a stupid dream, and yet, she could not forget about it. It recurred, and that bothered her every morning when she woke up out of a cold sweat. Her silent musing over it was short lived, as her twin brother came bursting through the door.

"HEY! Are you awake? Do you know what today is?" he excaimed, jumping excitedly on her in the process.

"Go away, I'm busy," was her only reply, while he continued to bounce around. She laid down again, trying to pull the covers over herself in an attempt to block out the light and noise. He had way too much energy this early in the morning. Seriously? Who was alive this early?

"Well happy birthday to you too grumpy. Today is the day we move! Aren't you excited sis?"

She groaned. _Why does it have to be so early?_ "Yes, I know, now get out!" she told him again. He jumped off the bed and she sat up, throwing one of her many pillows at him. It missed, hitting the closed door that he vacated through. She laid back down on her bed, staring at her star filled ceiling. She sighed, remembered when her and her father had put them up years ago. She didn't want to leave it behind, but what choice did she have? It was their eleventh birthday. They were going to leave Canada, and start anew in Britain. To be honest, she was very excited about the move, she had always loved everything about the strange land over seas. However, she was not a morning person, and not exactly sure she was THAT thrilled about leaving her whole life like this. Unfortunately, their god father was, and he would be arriving within the hour to uproot them from their upbringings. If only there was a way to take the house full of their memories with them.

Zahava and Brenden had been on their own for nearly four years now. Their parents had died in what was assumed a car accident on the highway, but they never believed that. It wasn't that they thought it was possibly thier parents were still alive, it was more so that the story was sketchy, in her opinion anyway. Their god father had been seeing to their needs, hiring a guardian for the time being. But now, things were apparently complicated, and they needed to move where they could be closer to him. Zahava loved her god father dearly, but she was sure there were many things he wasn't telling them. For instance, some days he would come over, and mysterious things would start to happen to all their electrical systems. He insisted that it wasn't faulty wiring, that it was something more obsure and simpler than that. Perhaps the only thing that bothered her about him was his insisting need to speak in riddles. Why bother talking if no one could understand you? Sometimes she wondered if maybe his old age was starting to get to him, but she'd never voice an opinion like that. She shook her head to herself, and proceeded to get ready to move.

Luckily, there wasn't much left to pack. She had two months to get everything ready, and she utilized her time wisely. She packed up the rest of her clothes, sighing as she looked out the window. The old tire swing still hung there, long forgotten and never used in the past four years. They used to play with it all the time, and now it was just a burden of bad memories. The tree stood tall and proud, providing shade in a wide radius around the yard. It was a huge backyard, bigger than most houses in the suburb. Now it would all be gone, she would probably never see it again. She sighed sadly, looking over her room for anything else that she may have missed. Finding nothing too important, she made her way with the rest of her bags to the main floor. She stopped on her short journey, opening the door into her parents room. It was clean, aside from the massive layers of dust. They had not touched it, left it alone. They also refused to let anyone in there, not wanting anything else to change. The first few nights after the news, her and her brother slept in there for nearly a year, before they were finally ready to accept the death and move on. She sighed, looking at the pictures, before turning her back on it forever. It was sad to think that she had grown up so much at age 11, but what choice did she have?

"Zavy! He's here! Come downstairs already!" Brenden shouted at her from the living room.

Zavy came downstairs in a hurry to embrace her dear god father. He was a kind old man, wearing the weirdest set of robes every time they saw him. His half moon glasses hung off his crooked nose, and though he was an old man, his blue eyes were young and full of mischief. It seemed that he would never abandon them, and had proven that every time by sending them gifts and by personally visiting them. He was all the family she had left, other than her brother. Their grandmother had died, then their parents, and now this old man was the only one left. She wondered how long he had to live sometimes, knowing that he was not as young as his eyes portrayed. Some days she wished there was a way to make things last forever. But now was not the time for gloomy, now was the time for a fresh start.

"Hello you two. Happy birthday to both of you. I have something for you, a great gift. Please, come sit down," greeted the old man. The two children beat him to his usual seat and waiting in eager anticipation. Albus Dumbledore sat down in front of them, smiling, as he knew what he was about to tell them would change their lives forever. "We are going to leave this country, and possibly never return. I have a home for you two in the city of London. It will not be a house, an inn of sorts, called the Leaky Cauldron. You two are very special children, so now I think it's time I revealed to you another world, coinciding with this one. I, like your late mother, am a wizard. I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You two, are a bit more than just a young witch and wizard. You are sorcerers, a bit more powerful. As of such, I regret to inform you that you cannot enter my school until three years time. However, I will be teaching you to utilize your powers effectively."

"But... Why are you telling us this now?" asked Zavy curiously.

"Any witch or wizard is given a letter of acceptance to my school when they reach of age. If you were just a witch and a wizard, and not in danger of being discovered, you would be accepted to the school here in Canada."

"In danger?" asked Brenden.

"You have enemies, my children. Had the circumstances been different, this information would not be divulged to you until you were old enough. The two of you have grown past what a normal child would believe, but it is not your fault. Being forced to grow up on your own far advances your maturity level. I'm sure you both have realized this, and can therefore understand the reason why I am transferring you to London instead of developing your powers here."

"And what is that reason?"

"There are not many sorcerers left in this world. For all I know, you two may be the last. Any one of the dark wizards in our world will try to find you. We'll have to hid your existence from the rest of the world, make it so that your powers can deceive anyone who tries to put their nose on your trail. You see, your parents did not die in a car accident, as once told. They died fighting a war, to free witches, wizards and muggles. The followers of this dark wizard had been seeking out your parents, one of them killing them, since they had not revealed the secret as to the whereabouts of their children. You both have great power, and it is necessary to keep you hidden from those who wish to do you harm. As time passes, you'll learn to understand everything I am telling you now."

"But what exactly is the difference between a witch and a sorceress?" asked Zavy.

"A great deal, Zahava. The magic that manifests in a witch or wizard is expelled differently than yours would. For example, I must channel my magic through my wand, which, every witch and wizard carries. Wandless and wordless magic is not unheard of in our kind, but extremely rare and hardly mastered together. The talent comes naturally to the two of you, seeing as how you summon your magic from everything around you, needing not the handicap of a wand to channel your greatest desires. They are comparable, but you will be able to do more than anyone I have ever seen, limitless power at your fingertips, this is why we must keep you hidden."

Zavy and Brenden listened intently until he was finished. They looked to one another, processing his every word at the same rate. It made a lot of sense, which is why this did not come as a shock to them. They themselves have witnessed strange things on thier own, knowing that the only explanation, was magic. It had all finally made sense, and now they were to be hidden until further notice. It made Zavy sad to think that she was partly the reason her parents were dead. She didn't ask for these powers, so why did they have to die to protect her? What kind of sick people were out there? And why? She could not understand why people feared the unknown. Shades of grey began to enter her until recently happy world. People attacked their own kind, it didn't make any sense. What was wrong with this world?

"Well now, are we ready to go?" asked their god father. They mutely nodded. "Alright, let's get going." He pulled out a strange stick that they could only assume was his wand, flicked it once, at all of their things were in front of them. He then moved towards the first place, beckoning them to follow him. "We will not waste time at a silly muggle airport. We are going to travel by floo. Don't worry about the green flames, they will not harm you. I will take you to the Leaky Cauldron, and then I will deposit your things soon after. Are you ready?" Those words screamed in Zavy's ears. Was this the beginning of her dream? Albus took some powder it looked like out of his pocket. The two children held on to him for dear life. "Diagon Alley!" he bellowed and they were engulfled in harmless green flames, only to re emerge in a completely different fire place. Of course, the actual effect of how they got there was something Zavy didn't care to repeat.

Zavy and Brenden looked around curiously. There were many normal looking people sitting at tables, and many that dressed like her god father. There were cats walking about, and owls flying along the ceilings. Nobody paid the two of them any mind, as they continued to look about the pub. Everybody had an accent. They should have known that, but hearing it really made a difference. Zavy saw a family with red hair sitting at one of the big tables. She observed them closely, seeing that they were dressed in robes and watching as things came flying across. There was the parents, two older looking boys, one about mid age, twins, a younger brother and just one little sister. Other twins always peaked Zavy's interest, not seeing many of them around. The one on the left particularly caught her eye. Any one would say that they looked the same, but they were in fact quite different. It was as if she could see into their soul. She jumped when she saw his eyes on her, but she did not look away. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. She had a strange feeling that she should go over and meet this boy. Her attention was drawn away by her god father pulling gently at her arm.

"Alright Tom," greeted Ablus, stepping up to the bar with the kids.

"Albus! So good to see you. And these are the children I presume?"

Albus nodded, "I have paid him in full for your lodgings. He will provide you with food and some instruction on how things work around here. I trust you won't be too much trouble?" They both nodded in acknowledgement, to astounded at everything to do something else.

"Oh Albus, let's not forget our youth and take back all the mischief," said Tom, winking at Zavy. She giggled, liking this old bartender already.

"No problems at all Tom?" The bar man shook his head. "Well then, you two, I'll show you to your rooms."

"Professor Dumbledore!" he was called. Zavy looked to see the family of red headed witches and wizards approaching her, her brother and her god father.

"Alright Arthur?" said Dumbledore kindly.

"Didn't expect to see you here."

"Just passing through, late Hogwarts business."

"We were really happy to know that our boys were coming to school as well. But I must warn you, they like to start trouble first chance they get," said the wife, Zavy could only refer to as Mrs. Weasley. Zavy of course, couldn't tell which boys she meant as she appeared to have six of them, but then she caught mischievious grins coming from the twins.

"I am sure it is nothing we cannot handle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting these children to bed," said Dumbledore. He didn't give the Weasley's much time to answer before turning away. Evidently, he didn't want many people to know who he was taking care of.

Up the creaky stairs they followed their god father. Zavy loved the architecture, wondering why Canada didn't have such old style buildings anymore. It seemed that this wizarding world thrived on it, as if they refused the modern age. She was happy with that though, not knowing what she could miss about human life. Her room was a fair size, with a decent bed and she saw that her things were already there, putting themselves away. She smiled, the amazement really shining in her now warm red eyes. She turned, looking at her god father. He had disappeared, probably showing Brenden his lodgings. She turned back to her room, seeing now the pictures on her desk were moving. How magnificent. She wondered why they had never done that before. She liked it much better that way, enjoying how different this world was. But why had she never seen it before? It was hiding just under her nose.

"All set then?" her god father asked, startling her at her door.

"Yes," she replied, turning to face him.

"Zahava, one hopes that you are not too upset at being taken from your home?"

"I was at first, but I never knew this world could be so wonderful."

"I'm happy. Do try to keep your need to wander at a minimal. Tom and I are too old to be chasing after young witches anymore."

"What about Brenden?" but she laughed at that, knowing that she was indeed the trouble maker. She felt like herself again, being here, not so dead inside. The youth was restored, and her god father was happy to see it. He just disappeared after that, with a loud cracking sound. Zavy was too happy to even ponder that right now. She went to look out of her window, having a view of the wizard side of London, Diagon Alley. It was getting late, however. All the stores were packing up for the night. She couldn't wait to have a look on her own in the morning. But she wasn't tired, and that bothered her. How many hours ahead were they? Oh well, perhaps now she would go and try to meet that boy that was with his family. She walked cautiously down the stairs, but was sad to see that the family had vacated. She sighed, looking around the bar for anything else.

"A bit late to go wandering now my dear," said Tom.

Zavy smiled, "Albus warned you?" she loved hearing accents.

"Yes he did. Now, can I get you anything? Are you hungry at all?"

"No, thirsty though."

"What would you like?"

"Um..."

"How about a nice glass of pumpkin juice?"

"Ew, what?"

Tom laughed, "I know. A butterbeer, that'll make a good introduction to our strange world of drinks." She smiled, thinking that a butterbeer was probably something like a rootbeer from back home. She took the bottle, thanking him. "Run upstairs, love, and drink it there. Closing time soon." She nodded at him, going back to her room. Her first drink of the butterbeer was quite delicious, and she wished they had such things when she was growing up. After she had finished it, she felt tired, and decided it would be a good time to go to bed. She couldn't wait to go exploring in the morning.

_You will see him when the timing is right._

_You will be destined for greatness._

_He will bear the unbearable with you._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

Zavy awoke, looking around. She couldn't understand why this dream still startled her, knowing that it came to her every night. But it was the last thing on her mind once she observed her surroundings. She smiled, remembering that today she was going shopping for school. It had been three years since she first moved here, into the Leaky Cauldron. She had watched as children her age and about were getting ready, getting back or visiting from her god fathers school. In a couple of weeks, she would be ready. Her parents had left her a nice hefty sum of money, as well as their god father, who saved it for when they were of age. Her letter from Hogwarts had arrived the day before, from an owl service that she had gotten used to over the years. It listed everything she would need. She had the books from previous years, making sure she was caught up with the rest of the students. On top of that, her powers manifested much differently than an ordinary witch or wizard. Her god father had been teaching her and her brother how to properly exhibit and distribute their sorcery.

But all of that was going to be put to the test, when she would enter the doors of her new school. She was excited to be released back into civilization, hating that she was harboured inside most of the time. She was disturbed by a knock at her door. It opened and her brother was standing there with her god father. She smiled at them, running into the bathroom quickly. Fourteen, she was fourteen, and finally ready for school. And not just any school, one filled with magic and wonder. How curious she was about other children with similar skills to her own. It wasn't as if she hadn't been to school before. Her and her brother had attended a muggle school until they moved to here, to England. But now was not the time to reminisce, now was the time to start her new adventure.

She approached from the bathroom in simple muggle clothes, not caring for the traditional robes that were worn by the wizard folk in Diagon Alley. She walked around like this quite frequently, and wouldn't stand out too badly, knowing that other muggle born students would be shopping as well. At first, she was unsure about her money, having only Canadian dollars to start with. She switched them for British pounds, but then had to convert those over to Wizarding money. Life sure was complicated, what was so wrong with keeping the same currency? It didn't matter. She had enough galleons, sickles and knuts to go around. Her god father hadn't let them into their vault, but insisted that the money be saved until he passed. She didn't like the sounds of that, but what choice did she have?

She walked outside the door of her room and locked it, meeting her brother and her god father downstairs. They left the usual way, her god father tapping his wand on the door. They both knew how to do this, but they didn't need a wand for it. It was actually their first lesson. They had to command the door to open for them by focusing they will on it. Saying the word "open" let their power go, and then the door opened for them. But they'd done it so often that it didn't matter who opened it. Zavy smiled as they entered the wizard world, seeing young wizards and witches shopping for school supplies. They first went to get their robes fitted, to the book store, and to get potion supplies. There was no need to get a wand, since their type of magic didn't require it. They toured the pet store, but they didn't buy anything there. Although Zavy would love to have a pet, she knew that it wouldn't be a good idea living at The Leaky Cauldron.

"Alright children, there's just one more thing to do, and we'll have to go to your rooms for that," their god father told them. They nodded, walking back to the Inn. Zavy waited patiently for her god father to be ready while she looked through all of her supplies. She couldn't wait to go to school, how exciting it would be. Finally, she heard a knock at her door. Instead of getting up, she told it to open, allowing her brother and her god father to step in. She looked curiously as he was holding an old hat. "This is the sorting hat. It will tell me which houses you two will be placed in this year. Since you're not starting as first years, you won't be apart of the sorting ceremony, and I'd rather not have you both stick out that way. Now, let's begin."


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn was creeping up over the horizon. The sky was changing from dark midnight blue, gaining some oranges, pinks and purples. But no one really noticed. The squat, lopsided house in the middle of the country seemed indifferent to the changing sky, the sun announcing its presence. It was called the Burrow, a house belonging to a complete wizarding family. The parents had seven children, making a total of nine of them. But two had already left the nest, having lives of their own out in the world. As the sun rose a little higher, there was some stirring under the roof, and no, it was not the ghoul in the attic. The plump, red headed mother known as Molly Weasley was busying herself getting breakfast ready for her family, hurrying up so that they would not miss the train to Hogwarts. All of her children would be going this year, her youngest and only daughter, Ginny, starting her first year.

But there was more than just her own. Her son last year had made friends with the famous Harry Potter, and her delinquent twin sons had stolen the flying car to get him about a month ago. Now, Molly Weasley loved Harry and all children, and was delighted to have him in her home. But she was not happy with her sons reckless actions and complete lack of disregard to the possible trouble that her husband could have gotten into. Arthur worked in the ministry, head of the Department of Misuse in Muggle Artifacts. If anyone knew that he was harbouring a flying car, there would be a lot of trouble indeed. But that was a month ago, and so far, the boys had managed to stay out of trouble and no one had reported a flying car.

_She will come from across the sea._

_She will come when the timing is right._

_The adventure will soon begin._

_She will be your destiny._

_Are you ready?_

George Weasley awoke from his slumber right after those words. He had been having these recurring dreams since the age of eleven. Those the words rang in his head every morning, he had no idea as to what they could possibly mean. Never had he really been confused about something in his life, and now these dreams, they just didn't make any sense. He didn't think much about them until his fourteenth birthday back in April. For some reason, they had been on his mind a lot more than usual. He shook his head, and off the sleep and proceeded downstairs where his family waited for breakfast.

"Long night there Forge?" his twin brother, Fred, asked him once he sat down. He looked up the table and realized, he was the last one up.

"Nothing out of the ordinary Gred," was his reply. He pushed the dream aside and ate his breakfast, anxious to start his fourth year at Hogwarts. His brother, Ron, and friend Harry were happily chatting about going back for their second year. He smirked at the thought of a month ago, when him, Fred and Ron had gone to Harry's muggle home to break him out of his prison. They had taken the old Anglia, a muggle car that their dad had tinkered with to make it fly. His little sister Ginny, was very excited, for she had a crush on the poor boy. But today it could just be a mixture of her idol sitting in front of her, or starting her first year of Hogwarts herself. He looked over at his older brother Percy, puffed up as usual. He smirked_, this year is definately going to be something_...

Not long after everyone was finished with breakfast, they were on their way to King's Cross in London. The muggle side was busy as usual, and always as usual, staring at the family all with red hair, carrying trollies around. They came to platforms nine and ten, then proceeded to run at the brick wall of platform nine. Through the barrier, all Weasley's made it to the existing space of platform nine and three quarters.

"Now you listen to me, I don't want a single owl about any of you getting into trouble!" chided his mom, looking straight at himself and Fred.

But none of her children were listening, as they were going to miss the train if they didn't hurry and get on.

"Look after Ginny!" were the last words they heard as the train left the station.

"Look after Ginny indeed. Anyone else notice that Ron and Harry didn't come through?" asked Ginny.

"Ickle Ronnekins skiving school? That's one for the records," said Fred. George laughed.

As they looked for a compartment, George looked into one, containing a boy and a girl, sitting across from each other. Something inside him nudged at him, and he remained stationery for a moment to take a better look. They seemed to be in deep conversation, and were already wearing their school robes. George could swear he had never seen either of them before, yet they did not look like first years. He observed them for a moment, taking in what he saw. The boy looked about his size, maybe shorter, he was sitting down after all. Brown, untamed hair, and what looked like amethyst eyes. _Weird. _Though, he really was not interested in the boy, it was the girl sitting across from him that really caught his attention. He stared at her, all the while, something was nagging at him. It wasn't as if there was anything wrong with, she was actually quite attractive. She had long blonde hair, looking like it came right from the sun itself. It was easy to tell she was a little shorter than himself and the boy across from her. Her eyes were also that soft amethyst colour, and hoop proceed out of her nose on her left side, since that was the side he could see. While the boys skin was a little tanned, her's was more pale and fair, and those robes left enough mystery as to the rest of her. There was just something about her...

"George! What are you doing here mate? We got a compartment, now let's make a move towards our plan," Fred came and broke him out of his reverie.

George snapped out of it, turning to his brother, "Brilliant. It's a good thing we left that fake stash for mum to find so she didn't get our good stuff," he replied with a devious smile. Fred mimicked it and they proceeded towards their destination. They met up with their friend, Lee Jordan, and went straight to their compartment with their little sister.

Their plan throughout the year was going to be fun, but a warm up on the train would be just as good. Over the summer, they had snuck into the muggle town to buy a few pranking items that they used. Their plan was to see how they worked normally, then try and give them magical properties. If they could do that, then as they advanced in their magic, they'd be able to create other products as well. Their first text product was the stink bomb. They had already tried this at home, but then magically enhanced it to be more revolting to the senses. They held on in each hand and smiled wickedly at each other.

"Alright Ginny, no matter what, stay in here, and you won't smell it. We'll be back in about five minutes," explained Fred. Ginny nodded with a little smile on her face and watched her brothers go. Maybe two or three minutes later, she heard a big BANG sound, and watched the compartment door fly open. Her brothers were giggling like little school girls and put wards on the door to keep others out. She watched as they finally cleared way, and saw students running back and forth, hearing their muffled cries of how the whole train just rank.

"Did you get the whole train?" Ginny asked them.

"I went to one side, and Fred went to the other. The smell meets in the middle, there's no escape!" explained George, through his fit of giggles.

The rest of the train ride wasn't nearly as fun. The poor witch who pushed the treat trolley was not happy, and glared at the twins as she passed by. They heard her muttering about how peaceful it was before they had started school three years ago. Fred, George, Lee and Ginny didn't pay any mind to the others that passed their compartments, most of them holding their noses.

"I hope you two planned something good for the greasy git," said Lee. He of course, meant Professor Severous Snape, sworn enemy to Gryffindor house. Snape was head of Slytherin house, and by far favoured them above all else. Especially that little Mafloy git.

"Oh don't worry about that," said Fred confidently.

"We've just got to spend some more time on the paste," said George.

"Mum's going to have kittens if you get into anymore trouble this year," said Ginny.

"Shouldn't you be off with friends somewhere?" asked Fred.

"After what you two just did out there, I am not leaving this compartment."

"You realize there are three of us and one of you?"

"You won't be scaring me once I learn some good hexes!"

"First years don't learn any hexes," said George.

"No, but there's nothing Hermione can't teach me."

The twind were about to retaliate when their compartment door opened. Speak of the devil, "What awful thing have you two done now?" asked Hermione, her face in her hands.

"Oi, why is it us that had to have done it?" asked Lee.

"Honestly, who else would it be? Besides," she moved her hands from her face, "This is the only place on the train that doesn't stink."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I've been all over the train and-"

"Hermione, we don't need to hear about your exploits around the train," said Fred, a mocking look of horrornand disgust upom his face.

"Sod you. Have either of you seen Harry or Ron?"

"Ron and Harry never came onto the platform," answered Ginny.

Hermione frowned, "You don't suppose someone attacked them?"

"In broad daylight with qualified witches and wizards around? Be realistic," scoffed Fred.

"Most parents just apparate," replied Hermione indignantly.

"Most, but not all. Some are squibs I'm sure, not to mention there are kids who haven't reaches first year-" George was cut off.

"Alright, I get the point. I just hope they're alright."

The day slowly turned into night, which meant the arrival of Hogwarts would be coming soon. The anticipation was written all over their little sister's face. George thought briefly back to when he was in first year. Of course, it had been the most fun, but now, coming back for his fourth year, he was certain things were going to change after it. He could feel the train coming to a stop. He sighed once and got off the train, holding his breath, as the smell was still there. Many of the other kids ran to get off, as they could not take another second on it. He chuckled to himself and hopped on a carriage with Fred and Lee.

As he looked over at the other students, he didn't see that boy and girl from earlier. He briefly wondered if they were really going to Hogwarts at all, or if they were just using the train to get to Hogsmeade. But he didn't think too deeply on it as the horseless carriage started to move.

"Any of your products ready for testing?" asked Lee.

"Not yet. Having a bit of difficulty getting what we need," replied George.

"Lots of new scortch marks in our room though," said Fred.

"I wonder if the elves ever fixed that whole behind my bed," mused Lee.

"If they ever noticed it mate."

"They never did get the mark out of the floor from first year," said George.

The rest of the carriage ride consisted of talks of the past years and what they could expect from this year. Before they knew it, they arrived at the castle gates and were marching towards the Great Hall.

The sorting ceremony had begun in the Great Hall. George was seated beside Fred, across from Lee. He felt like sleeping when Fred jabbed him in the ribs.

"Hey," he whispered, "you see that girl over there?" He pointed over near the end of the table, and there was sitting the mysterious blonde from earlier, bearing the Gryffindor robes. George nodded slowly at Fred, "Where do you reckon she came from? I've never seen her over the years."

George shook his head in response. This was very confusing after all. He looked up and down the table for the other student that was sitting with her. He did not see him at his house's table. He looked at Hufflepuff, and didn't see him there. He finally spotted him in Ravenclaw (_YES!) _as he was hoping he wouldn't be in Slytherin. Ginny was the last to be sorted into Gryffindor, and everyone fell silent as the Headmaster stood up to make his speach.

"Welcome, welcome to all first years and returning students. Let me first start off by introducing our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lockheart," he paused as all the girls went into a fit over him. "Now as a reminder and warning to all, the Forbidden Forest is, as always, out of bounds," he explained, looking directly as Fred and George. They smirked, "So without further ado, eat!" He finished as food fresh from the kitchens appeared in front of us.

As the feast began, the room was filled with all kinds of chattering. George could not help but steal glances at the mysterious blonde sitting at the end of the table by herself. _Where did she come from? Who IS she?_ These thoughts raced through his head. And he wasn't the only one. Other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws looked at the strange new students that sat alone, and apparently were never there before. He glanced at the teacher's table and saw Dumbledore looking at them as well, a glint of a smile on his face. They must be important if they have his special attention.

"Have you heard? McGonagall and Snape nearly expelled Potter and Weasley!" said Lavender Brown to Pavarti Patil.

"How do you know that?" asked Hermione suspiciously.

"They took a flying car to school!"

"They did WHAT?!" exclaimed Fred and George together.

"Wicked," said Lee.

"That slimy git," said Fred.

"He's going to pay for that he is," said George.

"Don't you two think its possible that maybe they couldn't get through the barrier?" asked Hermione, but they weren't listening.

As everything came to a close, everyone retreated to their common rooms. George saw as they were walking, the mysterious students were conversing with each other. He gave it a moments thought and then proceeded to his common room. As much as he was dreading it, classes would begin early, and he hated waking up tired. He hadn't planned on lingering in the commin room, but he wanted to know first hand why his brother didn't bother to tell him he was going to fly to school instead. It seemed everyone was waiting for Ron and Harry to reach the commons.

Finally, the door opened and the whole room burst into applause once the dynamic duo had walked in with Hermione trailing behind them.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Lee, "Inspried! What an entrance! Flying a car into the Whomping Willow! People'll be talking about that one for years-" Fred smacked Lee as the twins pushed their way to their brother.

"Why couldn't we have come in the car eh?!" they both demaned of Ron at the same time. His face turned the same shade as their hair, and Harry dragged him away and towards the commons.

There wasn't much more to be said or done. George decided that he'd rather be in bed before Percy would speak up, and he look right pissed. Siging, George made his was up to his dorm. He did not know how long he was lying in bed before he fell asleep, but he knew that things were going to be different this year. He did not know how he knew, but he highly suspected it had something to do with those kids, who were fourth years, like himself. He had the same dream as he did every night...


	3. Chapter 3

Zahava awoke in her bed in the girls dormitory of Gryffindor tower. Today was to be the first day of classes. It was not that she was nervous, as far as she was concerned, her and her brother were far more advanced then any of the others in her year. It was that she instantly heard the other girls whispering about her. Who could blame them honestly? She had just turned up out of no where, not once having set foot in this place while school was going on. And she also figured like any school that was confined to the same people today, rumor mill was going to be very busy this year. She was prepared to forgive it for maybe about a week before she decided to turn them all into toads if they continued. She stretched visibly so that the whispers subsided, got out of bed and immediately went for the shower.

As Zavy entered the Hall for breakfast, she looked for any sign of her brother. There weren't that many kids up yet, but she saw no Brenden. Everyone however, was very aware of her and her actions, as she sat at her house's table, near the end. She didn't look at any of them, just began to eat her cerial. She felt a presence in front of her, the familiar feeling of her brother and nodded at him. He took the seat in front of her and began eating his eggs and bacon, with some toast. More kids started to make their way into the Hall, as the morning was getting later.

"So how's your dorm or common place or whatever?" Zavy asked her brother as she was observing the bewitched ceiling.

"S'all right I guess. Do you have to answer a question to get inside yours as well?" he replied, joining her in her observation.

"No, just a simple password. But you'll be able to come in. There's this set of twins that are in different houses as well, and their always together."

"Yeah, I noticed them. Why do you think they separated us like this? And everyone else into houses? I think it leaves more to discrimination and competition than anything."

"You may be right, but I'm sure our god father knows what he's doing. I read a book about it-"

"No surprise there."

"If you let me finish!" she threw a piece of bread at him, "All the houses were founded by the four people who created this school. The founder of your house is supposed to be the smart, brainy type, while mine is a brave and do-gooder. Personally, I think that hat made a mistake, I should be where you are and vise versa."

"No questions there. This place looks like its going to be full of nothing but gossip. My common room was filled with chatterig students about the flying car."

"That's nothing, the kids are in Gryffindor, they had a party. One of them was Harry Potter. Story is, he couldn't get through gate to get on the platform."

"I wonder how long it will take for these losers to create a story about us."

"Now thats not very nice. We could create the story for them after all, embellish it a bit, make it sound more interesting than it acutally is."

"Either way, were going to stick out like a sore thumb. We don't have wands remember? We've been doing our magic, or talent if you will, with purely our minds, we haven't needed a channel for it like everyone else here does." Zavy pondered his words a moment. "Don't look now, but you've got admirers," Brenden whispered to her with a wink.

Zavy looked up and spotted the two red headed twins in her house. They were entering the Hall with the same glances at her as everyone else. She had remembered them from the feast last night as well, while one of them and a lot of others were staring at her, and possibly whispering about her. She watched with her peripherals as they sat down near a little first year with hair as red as theirs. She could only assume she was their sister, as the resemblance was pretty obvious. She put her attention back to her convsersation, and smiled simply at her brother, grabbing some bacon for herself. Their heads of house were handing out their time tables for the term. When her head of house reached her, the teacher looked with mild interest at the both of them and handed it to her. Brendens did the same for him. Moments later, Zavy caught the mini red head coming towards the place her and Brendon sat.

"Hello," she said simply, sounding kind of nervous.

"Hi," Zavy said as Brendon inclined his head towards her, "Have a seat, it's much better to interrogate someone when your more comfortable." Ginny laughed a bit, turning as red as her hair, but took a seat beside Zavy. "So what's your name?"

"I'm Ginny. To be honest, my brothers put me up to this, but I'm sure their not the only ones curious about you. To me it doesn't make a difference since this is my first year here as well," she explained, sounding more confident.

Zavy let out a little laugh, "I'm Zavy and this is my twin brother Brendon. I'll let you in on a secret red, I'll tell you our real story, in exchange, you feed your brothers with rubbish that we tell you to say. Deal?" She extended her hand to the little girl. Ginny smiled and shook it, accepting her challenge.

"Your accent suggests that your not from this country," said Ginny, looking at both of them.

Brenden nodded, "No, we're from Canada. Our parents are from here, but they moved, we were born there. Our mom apparently went to this school a long time ago tho."

"So your mom was a witch then. What about your dad?"

"He was what you call a muggle."

"I see. What brings you back here then?"

Brenden was about to open his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by a shrieking voice. Their heads looked over towards the source of the disturbance. Ginny turned an interesting shade of scarlet once she saw her older brother had recieved a howler, her moms voice ringing through the hall.

"-STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE. GETTING A LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAM, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED. I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED-YOUR FATHER'S FACING AND INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL COME THERE AND BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"

Mrs. Weasley's howler burst into flames after falling back into Ron's hand. Zavy was doing her best to stifle her giggles, seeing as the girl beside her was quite red. Her two twin brothers didn't seem to be phased, but were laughing with the rest of the hall, and the eldest gave a scowl in Ron's direction. All in all, it appeared that Zavy and Brenden wouldn't be much talk after this catastrophe. It took a few moments for Ginny to regain her composure. But sure enough, when most of the red had faded from her face and most the of Hall had resumed what they were doing before being interrupted, she turned back to Zavy and Brenden, asking what brought them back here.

Zavy spoke up, "Our parents died long ago. There was some war going on here, and they both struggled to fight for us and everyone else I guess. Your Headmaster over there is our god father, he's been seeing to our needs ever since. He brought us back to live here three years ago, said that it was necessary to be closer to him. We've been living at the Leaky Cauldron ever since."

"Three years ago? But then, why are you starting Hogwarts now and not then?"

"Don't know actually, he just told us we'd be attending this year. Our magic is a bit different then you lot. We do things differently. Instead of channeling our magic through a wand like everyone else here does, we channel through ourselves, using the engery from everthing around us."

Ginny's eyes lit up, her face back to its normal colour, "Wow. Wandless magic. That's incredibly wicked."

Zavy winked, "Now about your two nosy brothers..."

George watched as Ginny say down at their table, listening to their tale. He was very anxious, as was everyone to hear what Ginny had to say when she got back. Everyone was at their spot was watching them, as if they were trying to read their lips. Everyone that is, except Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron and Harry were still feeling sulky after that Howler, and Hermione was reading her copy of Voyages with Vampires, completely uninterested in what was going on.

"Honestly, I don't know what is so fascinating about them. Their just students that started later in the year, we should just be leaving them alone," she said aloud, not even raising her eyes from the book.

"SHHH!" everyone shushed her. A few moments later, Ginny came back to where they were sitting, a smile on her face. The girl went back to talking to her friend. Ginny sat down with that grin on her face and began to pour herself some more pumpkin juice.

"Well?" asked Fred when she continued to be silent.

"Oh, right. Their names are Zavy and Brenden, their twins, in fourth year. Their moved here from Iceland. They were in school there, learning all kinds of dark arts, very advanced stuff. They lived in a two story igloo, with heating and plumbing, and are currently living somewhere up north with the same kind of set up," explained Ginny. Hermione snorted at her story. Everyone else just looked astonished.

"That's nearly impossible. The igloo would melt if they had heating, and there's no school in Iceland," said Hermione in her disbelief.

"But isn't that the joy of magic?" asked Ron, who was taking advantage of the attention being off him. Hermione just snorted in response.

"No offense Ginny, but I really think they were just trying to mess with you. I don't think that's the whole story," was Hermione's reply.

"I don't see what is so hard to believe. I think it's pretty wicked," said Fred, looking back over at them. George laughed.

"Well if you don't believe me, maybe you should ask them yourselves, see what new story they tell you!" said Hermione, exiting the Hall. Everyone else shrugged their shoulders and left to go to their first lesson.

Unfortunately, this first day did not start out well for Fred and George. They had potions first thing, with none other than the Bat King himself, professor Snape. The only good thing, was that the Ravenclaws were in class as well, so there wouldn't be too much trouble for them. Fred and George took up their spot near the back, behind Angelina and Katie. At the station next to them just so happened to be Brenden and Zavy. There were whispers thorughout the students, but they remained unaffected by them, and patiently waited for class to start. The door shut with a lound BANG! as Snape walked to the front of the class. He looked at all of them with that hint of malice he always had for any student not in Slytherin.

"Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Fourth year potions. Interesting, the ones who.. Made it. This class will be the worst you have. Mark my word. I'm sure I have to remind you that I do not tolerate foolishness in my class," he was looking over at the Weasley twins, "Yes, I think it would be best if you two were separated. Miss DelCotta, switch with the Weasley on your left."

"Which one, sir?" Zavy narrowed her eyes slightly, but her voice was of sweetness and light. She didn't like the way his black eyes looked at her, nor the tone of distaste in his voice when he had spoken her name. What did she ever do to him? She didn't even know who this guy was, no reason for him to hate on her.

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter? I asked which one, you see, I'm not quite sure on your ability to count nor your eyesight, but there appear to be two and they're both on my left."

He glared at her, "The one closes to you, you clot! Ten points from Gryffindor for your smart mouth."

"Better than dumb mouth," she muttered, standing.

"Another ten points, would you care to continue?"

"Absolutely, but I'm not sure I can express myself monosyllabically enough for you to really get the point."

"Five more points. Next outburst will be a detention!"

Zavy went to open her mouth but then closed it again, glaring at him.

"Was there something else?" he asked, testing her to see if she'd go further. George looked at her, hate clear on her face, her eyes were a dangerous red. She sat down without another word. No more fighting... she thought to herself. George looked at her and swear he saw her eyes switch from red to green. She did not look at him, so he had no idea if he was just seeing things or not. Snape proceeded to write the necessary ingredients for a curing potion on the board, and then went observing. George offered to get them, since he was not sure if she knew what they would need.

"WHAT, was that Z?" George heard Brenden ask her as he was arriving back.

"Not now homo, I'm busy," she repled, turning her back to him.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Snape. He's a prick to all of us, especially Gryffindors," George offered. She looked up and half smiled, the continued to chop. "So your accent sounds different. Where you from?" Both of them looked at each other, then smiled a bit.

"We're fugitives from America. We came here so that the Ministry wouldn't find us and send us to prison. Technically, I'm innocent, but I can't just leave my brother. That immoral," Zavy explained in all seriousness.

"But my sister said you were from Iceland?" piped up Fred.

"No, that's just what we wanted to tell your sister. We didn't wanna frighten her on her first day, trying to make friends," Brenden took over.

"Makes sense I suppose," said George sounding dubious.

"It's up to you if you take our word for it or not chumly. If you don't believe us, it's better anyway, so when people go asking questions, there's not so much to worry about. But they'll never look here for us will they Brenden?"

"No, not at all," he replied, smiling wickedly.

George looked at the exchange suspiciously, but dropped the subject. He looked at Fred and could tell he was thinking the same thing. Fred shrugged and continued on his potion. By the end of the lesson, George and Zavy had made a perfect potion, and Snape knew it had to be her, but had not choice but to pass them.

The day continued after potions to move onto charms, with the Slytherins. Professor Flitwick was absolutely pleased to see Zavy in his class, but took her aside often to test things in different ways. George noticed that she did not have a wand, therefore, how was she doing the charm better than he? One look at Fred told him that they were thinking the exact same thing. It was a short lesson, and they were all heading out for lunch.

"Move it Weasel," said Marcus Flint, as he pushed Fred out of his way.

"That's Weasley, you git, don't forget it either when a bludger mysteriously starts coming after you!" Fred yelled after him, but he was already too far ahead to hear his threat.

Fred and George walked into the Hall to grab some lunch before the rest of thier day. They spotted Brenden and Zavy, sitting alone as usual at the end of Gryffindor table. They saw Lee signalling them over to where he sat with Angelina and Katie. The twins shrugged and made their way over and took a seat across from each other.

"You lot heard all the news on those to?" said Lee, inclining his head towards the twins at the end of the table.

"I heard that they vanished their wands, but still know where they are, and that's why they don't have them," said Katie with awe.

"Well, I heard that they broke while they were battling a Ministry Official in Switzerland because they were being accused of murder!" Angelina countered back.

"You both got it all wrong. Their wands were stolen by a pack of rabid were wolves," Lee told them pointedly. Fred and George looked at each other, thinking one thing. They looked over at the twins, who seemed to find something extremely funny. They shared another look, and Fred nodded at George.

"I got an idea. Why don't we go sit with them? It seems the only friend they've made is Ginny, and we should show them better hospitality than that," said Fred.

"Yeah, I mean, she is in our house after all. Though he may be Ravenclaw, doesn't mean we won't see him in our commons anyway," George added. The other three could find no argument, and preceeded to walk with them over to where Zavy and Brenden sat.

"Oh my, looks like were making friends fast," Brenden observed to Zavy. She smiled wickedly at him.

"Hello there love. Fancy some company?" asked Fred, taking a seat beside her. George sat on her other side, as Lee, Angelina and Katie sat on Brenden's side.

"Sure, why not? Doesn't seem like we've got much of a choice anyway," said Zavy, grabbing a salami sandwich.

"So what brings you two Hogwarts?" asked Angelina.

"Were here on a witness protection program from Australia. We witnessed three deaths by two different wizards. They saw us at the last minute, but we managed to get away. The Ministry there sent us here so that they couldn't find us. Said Dumbledore's the best, didn't they sis?" Brenden explained in all seriousness. Zavy nodded gravely.

"What are you playing at? I thought you were fugitives from America?" accused Fred.

"Oh, we first fled to Australia to hide from the authorities. And that's when we saw the murders. Quite scary actually, couldn't sleep for days, but I know I'm safe here," Zavy answered.

"How come you lot haven't got wands?" asked Lee. He took in every word they said, not doubting any of it.

"I lost mine in a fire, trying to save my brother. We made some cocktail bombs and blew up a building of parliament on that dear old day of November 5th, nearly a year ago now," Zavy answered with a tragic note in her voice.

"Mine was burst to bits when I was trying to defend us, escaping from those murdering wizards," Brenden added. Fred and George looked at each other thru Zavy. _Something fishy is going on here. _George thought to himself.

"So do you two do wandless magic then?" Katie asked.

Brenden and Zavy looked at each other. Something seemed to be going on that wasn't quite usual, even for twins. Brenden nodded once, "We do have wands, but we didn't want them to get lost again, so we put a charm on them. Only we can see them, no one else."

Katie looked a bit taken back, but smiled all the same. "Will you be playing Quidditch this year then?" she asked excitedly.

Zavy shook her head no, "I like to watch, and I like to fly, but I don't want to play. Besides, I think you've got your team pretty established, from what I hear of our teams Captain," she inlcined her head toward Oliver, "kind of cute I think," she finished with a smirk.

"I, on the other hand, wouldn't mind giving it a shot. My house may not be as competitive as this one or that Slytherin one back there, but I'll make it up to the top and overcome all of you," said Brenden with a fiece passion in his eyes. Zavy just rolled her eyes, they somehow looked like a dull grey, as if she was bored. George pondered that a moment. He must be tired and not used to school, cause earlier her eyes looked as if they were green.

"Well anyway, if your finished there wonderboy, I think it's time we got ready for the next class. Cheers," said Zavy, getting up to leave. Brenden followed suit and they left the Hall together.

"Wonderboy?" Brenden inquired to her once they were out of ear shot.

"I couldn't think of anything in my boredom," Zavy sighed.

"It is getting a bit out of hand isn't it?"

"No, just not very interesting anymore. We've exhausted the pretty much everything, maybe it's time to just let it all flow."

"Maybe. What class you got next?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts. Apparently the position is cursed."

"Yeah I heard that to. Well, I've got to go get my stuff. I'll see you in class then."

"Right, later." Zavy walked by herself to the Gryffindor common room. Upon reaching the fat lady, she saw the oldest of the red haired kids walking out. He inclined his head toward her, and then walked away, leaving the portrait open. She walked through and straight up to her dorm to grab her things before leaving. She came down stairs and bumped into one of the twins.

"Geeze, watch where your going asshole," said Zavy, rubbing her head a bit.

"Sorry love, maybe you should watch where your going," replied George, extending a hand to help her up. When her hand met in his, they both felt a strange tinge of something pass thru them, kind of like an electric shock. They looked sharply at one another, silently questioning if the other had felt it as well. Zavy stood slowly, with George's help. For some strange reason, she thought of her dream. The same recurring dream, constantly asking her if she was ready. _Ready for what?_ George was thinking the same as her. Could she be what it all meant? Zavy blinked once and snapped out of it.

"I'm going to be late, sorry for running into you. Bye," she said, grabbing her things and rushing out of the common room. George stood there for a moment before he realized he should probably be on his way as well.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was a class that could usually be taken seriously. However, with this fruit Lockheart, there was nothing that could help Zavy's sarcastic innuedo from surfacing to full potential. Honestly, making a quiz about himself? And with the way all these girls were drooling over him didn't help her think any better of him.

"Excuse me, Miss DelCotta, you seem to have left my quiz page blank. Using it as an excuse to talk to me no doubt?" the professor addressed her, slightly walking to her desk.

"No sir, I just have no idea who you are, and personally, don't really care," came her reply. The girls looked shocked and outraged that she would dare say something like that to him. The boys let out little laughs, especially Fred, George and Lee.

"I'm sorry, you don't know who I am? Have you read any of my books? Or even heard rumors of my wonderous tales?"

"Nope, sorry. Too busy reading other things."

"But surely you've heard of my wonderous adventure with a vampire?"

"Nope."

"How I battled there were wolf?"

"Nope."

"The great stuggle in Scottland and how I defeated an evil warlock there?" he sounded desperate.

"Nope, nothing. Sorry sir, I don't pay attention to fads."

Lockheart looked outraged, "Detention Miss Delcotta. I will not have you insult me in my own classroom."

"But sir, isn't this just a temporary office until someone else takes the job?" Zavy asked innocently.

"Purposterous. I hold this post now."

"You mean your immune to the supposed curse of the one year position? My, maybe you are impressive... On second thought, I think your a fake who thinks to highly of himself, I don't think you can do anything you said you can, nor do I think you can teach this class. Oh, and I also think your the most repulsive man I've ever seen. Why don't you use some of that amazing magic of yours and get a make over?"

"ENOUGH! Take your things and go see the Headmaster IMMEDIATELY!" Lockheart fumed at her.

"Fine, I could teach this class better than you anyway. Anything to get out of your pigheadedness you awful git." she left, slamming the door behind her. Every girl in the class was shocked, and looked like they wanted to run after her, just to hex her into oblivion. The boys however could not contain their laughter, and cheered her on out the door. Fred and George looked at each other.

"This is definately going to be an interesting year," they said in unison.


	4. Chapter 4

Zavy stood outside the door to Dumbledore's office. She could hear, no, sense another presence in there, and patiently waited until she could go in. She was still upset about what happened with that git Lockheart. Couldn't anyone else see he was a fake? She didn't understand how all those bimbos could stand the sight of such a loser. The door opened and smacked her in the head.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, rubbing her head for yet the second time that day.

"One suggests you oay attention... Miss. DelCotta," professor Snape said to her before walking away. Zavy glared at him and walked into her god father's office.

"What is up that guys ass all the time?" she asked, plopping herself in front of Fawkes. She loved the little phoenix, and couldn't wait until he was reborn.

"Zahava, I highly doubt you were sent here to discuss what may or may not be up professor Snape's... ass, as you put it. I am here to discuss the conversation you had with professor Lockheart," replied Dumbledore, "Did he happen to say something to offend you in any way?"

"His whole existance is offensive."

"Please explain."

"He's a fake. He didn't really do any of those things in those rediculous books he keeps bragging about. Other wizards and witches did them, and he used a memory charm so that they'd forget, in turn, he takes the glory of it all. He knows nothing but how to erase a memory and take all the credit. I can't STAND people like that. A first year is more qualified to teach that class than he is!"

"And may I ask, Zahava, how you know all of this information?"

She looked down a bit guiltily, "I might have, sort of, accidently, tapped into his mind?" Dumbledore gave her a questioning look. "I wanted to know if he thought about anything other than himself, and as it turns out, he thought of memory charms. So I probed further, and found the truth about everything. I'm sorry, but I just don't think I can be in that classroom again."

"I didn't know that your powers have advanced so quickly. Try to stay out of people's minds, Zahava, it would be best for you until you learn how to control it. Unfortunately for you, I cannot remove you from his class, it's part of our curriculum, and until he is proven to be the fraud that he is, he'll have to stay. And don't you go messing about in it either. Now, you have detention with him on Thursday, please try not to cause any more trouble?"

"I'll do my best," she said, looking back at Fawkes. She pet the phoenix a couple of times before finally leaving to go her next lesson.

"That girl is an explosion waiting to happen Albus," the portrait of professor Dippet said to him.

"Yes. Bless her heart," Dumbledore smiled at him.

Fred and George made their way back to the common rooms with Zavy. They decided they could use someone with as much spirit as she had in their pranks, seeing as she was up for a few jokes herself.

"That was wicked what you said to Lockheart, still can't get over that one," said Fred, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, he was really put out about the whole ordeal, couldn't even make a good lesson out of it," said George, putting his arm around her waist. Zavy was not used to this kind of display before, and felt a bit akward being the middle of a Weasley sandwich, but she chose to ignore it.

"Well I can't stand people that can't see past their nose, or the reflection of it," was all she said. They walked into the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Girls were looking at her venomously, having already heard about the issue after lunch. "Boy, news travels fast around here."

"You bet love, you'll be the talk of the school at the rate your going. Especially with all those tall tales of where you came from," said George, sitting beside her on the couch near the fire.

"What's the real story on you and Brenden?" Fred asked with mild curiosity.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she answered, smiling, but not offering anymore. Fred shrugged and went up to his dorm with a knowing look at George.

"How do you feel about some after class mayhem?" George asked, thinking he already knew the answer.

"Why, my good sir, I think that sounds delightful," she smiled a devious smile at him, "One question though, you two wouldn't happen to be the ones that threw a stink bomb on the train now would you?"

"Very sharp of you maddam," he asnwered as Fred came back downstairs with Lee, "Now without further ado." He gestured towards them.

"You want me to do _what?_" Zavy asked Fred for the third time, just to be clear on the whole situation. Zavy, Fred, George and Lee were standing outside the girls lavatory on the third floor.

"I want you to go into the toilets, turn these dungbombs invisible, and place them in the back of the toilet. Then, when unsuspecting victims use the bathroom, they'll explode, splashing them!" explained Fred with an ear to ear grin on his face.

"You do realize how disgusting that is don't you? They'll get splashed with their own piss and shit water... Brilliant," she said, taking the package from Fred and heading in with that devious smile one her face. George could swear he saw her eyes flash a kind of orange colour, but could not get a better look as she turned around. She emerged seconds later as a sixth year was about to go in. They vacated the scene just in time to hear a scream from the bathroom. All burst into laughter, as they walked towards the Hall for dinner.

Upon entering the Hall, Zavy ditched the twins and walked over to Brenden, sitting at the end of the Ravenclaw table. Fred, George and Lee walked over to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"She's a complete cow is what I think. Lockheart is most certainly NOT a fake," Hermione was telling everyone as they arrived. George rolled his eyes. She was obviously as obsessed with this guy as their mum.

"I think she's quite pretty actually. And who cares about this Lockheart bloke, he's too full of himself he is," Ron replied.

"Yeah, how about earlier today, when he let all those pixies loose and couldn't get them under control?" Harry threw in, feeling the same as all the boys around school. Hermione glared daggers at them and stormed out.

"I don't get whats so great about this Lockheart bloke anyway," Ron shrugged and filled his plate with what everyone assumed was his third helping. "Have you heard all the ruckus on those two? I heard they used to be birds that got turned into humans and turned out to be full of magic."

"I heard that their parents are muggle's, and their secret agents on a top case in Washington," Harry said with wonder.

"No mate, their mom is a school teacher in Germany, and their dad is one of the most wanted dark wizards in Asia," Lee butted in.

"That's not what I heard, I heard that their mom was in Africa, learning how to talk to elephants, and their dad was in Japan, creating new muggle technologies," said Ron.

Fred, George and Ginny laughed, helping themselves to some food before Ron ate it all.

"Well, at least it took less than a day for people to forget about that Howler," said Harry.

Ron turned red, but chose not to say anything. Had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that his mouth was full of food already, not at all.

"Even we haven't got a Howler from mum," said Fred, grinning devilishly.

"You lot get enough without Howler's," said Ginny.

"The secret, dear younger brother and sister, is to not get caught. Honestly, haven't we taught you anything?" asked George.

"Aren't you worried about your dad's inquiry?" asked Harry.

Fred shrugged, "Dad's got a remarkable collection of spark plugs. I highly doubt he's been able to figure out what to do with them."

"Besides," said George, "The car is gone and there's nothing else he's really enchanted. It'd be a waste of time to search our house, even if the ghoul in the attic gets them."

"I still think you should have told us you were going to take the car."

"It wasn't exactly our idea," said Harry. He couldn't believe this, "First that house elf, and now this. What else could go wrong this year?"

"Best not to ask questions like that, mate," said Lee, "you end up getting everything you've always dreaded."

"How'd your day go?" Zavy asked Brenden as she sat down.

"You mean after that hilarious fight with what's his face? Not to bad. You've made quite a few enemies, and it's only your first day," Brenden replied between mouthfuls.

"It's not my fault the skanks and innocent ones can't see what's in front of them."

"I think your right about professor Lockheart. He seems to be surrounded by gnargles," came the dreamy voice of a first year blonde sitting beside Brenden.

"What's a gnargle?" Zavy asked, but didn't think the girl heard what she had said.

"This is Luna Lovegod. Everyone calls her Loony," Brenden explained to her.

"Yeah, I can tell why."

Brenden shrugged and continued to eat. It didn't take long for them to finish, and then they parted ways.

"Whatchya dooooooin?" Fred asked Zavy curiously, as he and George had just entered the commons. They found her sitting on the couch near the fire with her books sprawled everywhere.

"Doing some homework, then I think I'll go flying for a bit while the nights are still warm," she replied, not even raising her eyes from her work.

"It'll be past curfew then, we'd better go with you, make sure you don't get caught," said George, taking a seat beside her.

"I can manage on my own I think."

"But you don't know the castle like we do," said Fred.

"We can keep you practically invisible," George added.

"Fine then, amuse me," she agreed, deciding it was best if she actually wanted to get any work done.

Fred and George waited until Percy wasn't paying any attention to them, before taking Zavy and hopping out of the portrait hole, all three of them carrying their brooms. They took her down the secret passageways until they were on the grounds. Zavy mounted her broom and soared out into the air, Fred and George not far behind her. They raced each other around the castle, Zavy winning every time. They tried to knock each other off, and create strange obstacles to get passed.

"Your really good love, you should try out for our team," said Fred, flying towards the pitch.

"It's not my thing. Besides, Brenden's way better than I am," she replied, beating him there.

"Too bad. I think we've got a good chance anyway. Especially with Harry and his Nimbus 2000," George thought out loud. They dashed around the hoops, in and out of the stands. They were having a lot of fun until Fred nearly smacked into a pole, and decided that maybe it was time to call it quits.

They encountered no one in the corridors as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Zavy mildly wondered if maybe she should have told Brenden where she was going, but decided against it. He would have plenty of time to fly around, he did anyway. The three of them sat in the common room for a bit, Fred and George telling her about their first three years here. They didn't speak about last year and the fiasco with Harry and Quirrell. They didn't really like talking about things like that.

"How is it that you two are never caught?" asked Zavy.

"Oh we are. We just got a bit better since we nicked this," said Fred, holding out a piece of parchment. Zavy had seen them using it on their way out to fly.

"What is it?"

"The Marauder's Map," answered George, "It not only tells us where every place in the castle is-"

"-including the secret passageways-"

"-but also where everyone inside the castle is."

Zavy peered at it curiously. She saw her brother and a couple more boys in the Ravenclaw dormitories. She also saw her god father pacing around his office. She often wondered what he did while he was up there. She had been there quite a few times over the years, but only ever in the summer, when there was nothing but ghosts int he school. Of course, she had spent some time with Hagrid, who was in his hut as usual. She saw something curious in Gryffindor, a name by Peter Pettigrew. She could have sworn she had heard that name before, but didn't think too much on it.

The night was dragging on, and with a final yawn, Zavy announced that she was heading to bed. They were the only ones left in the common room, and she didn't want to miss out on any sleep. She only stayed down here to late so that the other girls would be sleeping by the time she went up and she wouldn't have to listen to them whisper when they thought she wasn't listening.

"Night Zavy, your bloody brilliant," said Fred when they arrived back in the common room. He yawned and went upstairs.

"See you in the morning," said George, following his brother.

"Night boys, don't let the bed bugs bite," she laughed walking up to her room.

"Eh, that's not funny, have you seen a bed bug?" Fred called down.


	5. Chapter 5

Zavy and Brenden had spent the last few weeks keeping an eye around the castle and learning about everyone around. She had quite the rude awakening a few days ago. It appeared that Oliver Wood had sent one of the girls upstairs to wake up her dorm mates. Angelina and Katie were on the Quidditch team, and apparently the crack of dawn was a good time to practice. She had forgotten Fred and George were on the team as well, that is, until she had taken a stroll over there with twins, seeing as she couldn't get back to sleep anyway. That, of course, had nothing to do with the twins sending Angelina upstairs to wake her up and bring her with them. Gits.

The first Quidditch practice didn't go quite as smooth as she thought it would. She saw the seven players get into the air, saw Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley sitting with a first year known as Colin Creevey. Young Colin was quite taken with Harry and insisted on taking as many pictures as possible. Zavy was surprised he could click his finger so fast, as she conjured up a hot cut of hot chocolate. The morning was quite chilly and her hands were freezing.

"Look this was Harry! This way! Harry!" Colin was trying desperately to get his idol's attention. Zavy smirked at his hopelessness. Young kids were so easy to impress.

"Who's that?" she heard Fred ask.

"No idea," Harry responded, obviously lying.

"What's going on?" asked Oliver Wood after flying towards them, "Why is that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy."

This guy was definitely not paranoid. Nope, not by any means.

"He's in Gryffindor," said Harry.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver. They can do quite well by themselves-assuming their eyes work," said George, pointing towards the students in green robes walking onto the first, brooms in their hands.

"I don't believe it!" cried Oliver in outrage, "I booked the field for today! We'll just see about this!"

Zavy watched as the team started towards the ground. She had a bad feeling about this and decided it would be best if she was there to do some damage control. Zavy hadn't had a very good first impression of the Slytherins, and it wasn't hard to tell why. They were all arrogant and quite annoying in fact. But she didn't voice her opinions. She didn't have to, the whole Gryffindor house did it for her. Besides, they automatically hated her just because she was in Gryffindor and she considered that to be absolutely retarded.

"But I booked it!" Zavy could hear Oliver filled with rage screaming at Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain, "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint, "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'."

"You've got a new Seeker? Where?"

And sure enough, a small second year pale blond haired boy stepped out from behind the giant Slytherins. Zavy didn't like the looks of this one. Besides that stories she had over heard about him from Harry and Ron, she could see why they hated him so much. She could claw through the arrogance that emanated off him.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" asked Fred, looking for all the world he wished he could squash the bug.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint, the whole team smiling a little too much for Zavy's liking, "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

The whole team lifted their brooms, showing that they were brand new. But what they were really trying to show them was the fact that they were all holding Nimbus 2001's, the latest broom to come out and fastest one in the market today. Zavy rolled her eyes. It was amazing how cowardly the so called rich and powerful really were.

"Very latest model, only came out last month," said Flint as if it were virtually useless, "I believe it outstrips the old Two thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps, well, let's just say it sweeps the board with them," he gave a nasty smile in Fred and George's direction. Zavy glared, her eyes flashing that dangerous red. But nobody was paying attention to her. They were looking past her, at Hermione and Ron approaching the commotion.

"What's gong on?" Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" asked Ron, the obvious distaste for Malfoy in his voice.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy smugly, "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team. Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team can raise some gold by raffling off those Cleansweep Fives. I reckon a museum would bid for them."

The Slytherins were all laughing at that. Zavy knew that this was only going to get more ugly if it was able to continue, but how was she supposed to stop it without raising suspicion and attention to herself?

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply, "They got in on pure talent."

Malfoy sneered at her, "No one asked your opinion you filthy little Mudblood!"

In the blink of an eye, there was a huge uproar. Flint dove in front of Malfoy just as Zavy put a hand on each of the twins' wrist ("Steady") she whispered harshly as Alicia cried, "How dare you!"

But worse of all was Ron. He was red with anger, shaking and retrieving his wand from his robes. Zavy noted that it was still broken and didn't quite know whether or not she should intervene. But she didn't have a chance to make that decision. He had already went to curse Malfoy. Unfortunately, his want was broken, and the curse back fired, hitting himself instead. He was knocked back while the team went to check on him, the Slytherin team laughing in the background. Zavy noted that the poor boy couldn't speak, on account of slugs constantly coming from his mouth. Gross.

All in all, it was probably not what she expected out of her first school Quidditch experience. It could have been much worse if Ron had actually managed to curse Malfoy, seeing the Slytherins would in turn defend him and it would be one crazy duel. She sighed as she went back to her food, the memory bringing her to want to throw up and laugh at the same time. Poor Ron.

Zavy spent her time divided between classes, Fred, George and Lee, and her brother. Brenden had done much the same as she had, knowing that there was more to them being here than to learn magic. This wasn't any magic that would be all that useful to them, but they were too exposed being at the Leaky Cauldron during school hours. Not to mention, their god father didn't fancy them being isolated from the rest of the world for so long. She suspected that he was waiting for Harry Potter to be in school before they could come, deflecting the attention off them. It was a mean thing to do, but completely necessary. Not to mention, something happened last year that most of the teachers were quite hush hush about.

Ever since the Quidditch practice, she had been waking up around that same time. There weren't many here for food and she barely ate. Giving up on trying, seeing as she would be hungry later, Zavy roamed the corridors, not really looking at anyone who passed her. Not like there were many. Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker eyed her suspiciously, but she paid him no mind. She had learned quite early that he hated students. She heard cackling as she kept going towards the corridor and narrowed her eyes. There was only one thing in this world that made a noise like that.

"Peeves, what are you doing?" asked Zavy as she came towards the poltergeist.

"Oh wee Zavy, finally in school Peevesey sees!" he sang to her, still smearing paint on the wall.

"What's the point in annoying Filch?"

But he didn't answer, just continued to sing songs that insulted her. Zavy of course, was used to his behaviour, seeing as he thought he was quite clever. She wasn't the least bit offended, but actually had an idea strike her.

"Peeves, have you been into the new Defense teacher's office?"

"Why no wee Zavy," he looked at her with intrigue.

"I think you missed quite a few spots in there," she smiled at him, walking away. He cackled madly again and flew off with his paint, "And don't be afraid to use some of your finer vocabulary!" she called after him. All in all, so far so good.

She sat in her dorm with her homework all around her. She didn't bother with quills and ink bottles since she had the room to herself, but rather thought the words she wanted to say onto the parchment. it made things much easier that way. She reviewed her work to satisfactory before moving onto the next subject. She could sense someone coming upstairs and made to look as if she were putting her things away. She had finally stepped out of the spotlight and didn't want anyone to question how she had been doing her homework.

"Hey, Fred, George and Lee want to see you," said Angelina, poking her head through the door.

"Okay. Why did they send you?" asked Zavy, swinging her legs off her four poster bed.

"Boys can't come into the girls dorm. The stairs turn into slides if they do. But we can go into theirs all we want," she explained, going to sit on her bed.

"That's.. actually quite funny," Zavy laughed half heartedly.

"Definitely makes me feel better. Two years ago Davey Stinglette kept trying to get into Malorie Rice's room. We had almost a permanent slide for a whole month before McGonagall finally put a stop to it. Fun coming down, hard getting up. The bloke finally nicked Oliver's broom to get up. I think they got married after they left school."

"I don't envy her then. Someone that stubborn would be ghastly to share a life with."

"Malorie used to stay up here on purpose. She was having a laugh with her mates at all his attempts until he actually made it."

"Wow. Anyway, I'm going to see what the idiots want now. So far they like to use me to sneak into the girls bathroom. There's only so much you can do in there."

"Give a warning this time. Alicia was in the stall next to Parkinson when that sludge fell on her."

"Actually that was Peeves."

"I heard he got Lockheart's office pretty bad. Paint all over his portaits."

Zavy laughed on her way out, "Sounds like an improvement," were her last words before closing the door behind her. She was happy that Angelina didn't fancy the idiot, which made making fun of him quite a treat. Of course, she would have to keep quiet around Alicia Spinnet, also a Gryffindor chaser who absolutely adored him.

She came to the end of the stairs and scanned the room for the boys. She noted Harry, Hermione and Ron in the corner doing their homework. Hermione appeared to drill them, yet nicely not let them fail. Of course, the bushy haired third year didn't care for Zavy since she constantly insulted her boyfriend. If Hermione was half as smart as she thought she was, Zavy was sure she'd come around.

"What do you losers want now?" asked Zavy in feigned annoyance.

"Just checking in with our favourite painter," sang Fred.

"You did put Peeves up to repainting Lockheart's office, didn't you?" asked George.

"Of course I did. I figured while he wanted to paint he might as well impove the castle a bit," replied Zavy, "How did he take the decorations?"

"He was absolutely livid," replied Lee through his laughs.

"Heard him screaming from his window," George grinned.

"The best were the captions and speech bubbles," said Fred, "but he's definitely having trouble with Filch to get it cleaned."

"And he's cancelled all his classes today," said Lee.

"Isn't that a shame," said Zavy smiling.

"Don't you have a detention with him?"

Zavy made a disgusted face, one that looked similar to how a person would react if they had eaten a vomit flavoured Bertie Bean, "Don't remind me. If I can manage not to strangle myself before hand, I may even escape without getting myself into another one."

"You beat our record," said Fred.

"Yeah, we didn't even get detentions on the first day," snickered George.

"I highly doubt you lot had to deal with such a loser like that," replied Zavy.

"Won't have deal with him at all at the rate you're going."

"Thanks," she said drily, rolling her eyes, "I'm going to get something to eat."

"It is about dinner time, isn't it?"

Zavy lead the way to the Great Hall, where sure enough it was starting to become full of students. Zavy separated from the boys and walked towards her brother at the end of the Ravenclaw table. The only thing that bothered her about it was that it was beside the Slytherins. Thankfully, none of the Slytherins had taken much notice of the DelCottas. They were still talking about the incident on the Quidditch pitch, except for Pansy Parkinson, a pug faced second year who was covered in brown sludge that smelled exactly as it looked. Apparently, showering had never occured to her.

"You have astronomy tonight?" asked Brenden as Zavy sat down beside Cho Chang. Cho didn't pay her any mind, her and her friends were talking about boys and other crap Zavy didn't care about.

"Yeah. I'm happy that they at least let you have a lie in the next day. Care of Magical creatures before lunch tomorrow," replied Zavy, helping herself to some food.

"Sounds better than Arithmancy."

"I am taking that as well if you recall. Sounded better than Divination. I hate seers."

"From what I hear, Trelawny's a joke."

"I've never seen her."

"I'd be surprised if you had. She never leaves her tower, the house elves bring her all her meals."

"Ah well. Sometimes I wish they'd bring me a midnight snack after astronomy. Sinistra isn't bad, but for some reason I'm always hungry after her class."

"So am I actually. Then again, when aren't you hungry? You might as well pack up and go live in the kitchens."

"But brother dear, wouldn't you miss me?"

"Not really. Might actually be able to get some peace and quiet around here."

"I love you too," she rolled her eyes, "On that note, why aren't you living in the library yet?"

"Can't, Hermione Granger already moved in last year."

The two of them laughed at that. They slent tbe rest of their time talking about the lessons they didn't share together. While they took the same classes, it still seemed like a different experience on both ends. While they were both inside the same school, Zavy had never spent so much time away from her brother before. She found it odd, just as she knew he did to, but they had friends of their own now. Not that they didn't share friends, but being in different houses seemed to start that separation.

Zavy met the twins and Lee in the Gryffindor common room. The boys were playing a game of Exploding Snap while Zavy looked over her Ancient Runes. Lee was in the class with her, though she couldn't figure out why. He was quite gold at it, but he really had no place there. The common room was quite full, yet all the students stayed in their separate groups. Harry, Ron and Hermione were off in a corner, Ginny and couple first years were in another part, Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown not too far from them, and then Zavy's little group in front of the fire.

"Zavy, that looks dreadful, why don't you join us?" asked George.

"Nah. Never really cared for exploding cards," she replied, her eyes fixed on her translations, "What is it with you boys and explosions anyway?"

They stopped to look at each other, and Zavy looked at them curiously when they didn't answer for a while. She frowned slightly, wondering why they stopped their game.

"George and myself of course have been experimenting on candies and trying to invent new products for testing," explained Fred.

"Products?" she raised a brow.

"We plan on opening a joke shop. We've spent all of last year taking a look as to what would be popular among students."

"So this year we've been trying to buy enough products to modify before we can start testing," said George.

"And why did we all stop to stare at me?"

"We can't have it getting back to our mum."

"She'd have three sets of kittens if she knew," said Fred. Lee laughed, "Oi, it's not funny mate!" Fred smacked him, which just caused Lee to laugh even more.

"Right..." said Zavy, turning back to her Runes. After the Howler she had heard on the first day of school, she definitely didn't want to hear what their mother would say to these two who clearly had a knack for getting into trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

The weather started to turn quite blustery. Rain, rain and nothing but rain. She didn't like being stuck inside. She was so fed up with it, she had went with Fred and George to spy on the Slytherin team. Of course, they didn't know they were there, Zavy was incredible at invisibility, but she decided it would boost morale if she didn't mention that. The boys as well as the rest of the Quidditch team was not happy about these new brooms. They were all green blurs flying around the pitch. The twins were soaking wet most of the time, due to Oliver Wood's intense training to best the brooms. She learned that for as long as time, the first match of the year was always Gryffindor vs Slytherin. She supposed it was a really good way to become enthusiastic about Quidditch, considering these were the two rival teams.

The rain didn't let up seemingly at all, and that was definitely going to put a damper on her spirits. The first Hogsmeade visit was tomorrow, and she was excited to visit the village during the school year. It was blooming during then, when other kids would be around and she had never seen it before. The only time she had been was when she was visiting her god father at the school, and her and her brother would stay at the Hogs Head. She had been to the Three Broomsticks, but Dumbledore insisted that they stay at the Hogs Head, that way, everyone would mind their own business. Zavy didn't think that anyone would really recognize her and her brother. After all, Diagon Alley was full of much more activity, and not a single person made the connection to who she was. But perhaps there was more danger in Hogsmeade since it was the only wizarding village that didn't have a single muggle.

Fred and George sat in the common room with Zavy, discussing what they would be doing at the wizard village.

"We for sure have to go and restock at Zonko's," said Fred. George rolled his eyes, thinking of how Fred had a knack for pointing out the obvious.

"That's a given. There's other things to do as well," George replied.

Zavy sighed, staring out the window. The rain seemed like it didn't want to let up. Just the other day it had been gorgeous out. She went with Fred and George to their Quidditch practice, only to be taken over by the Slytherin team. The Malfoy character was a stuck up and nosy git, at least, thats what she felt about him anyway. His daddy had bought the whole team Nimbus 2001 brooms. In her eyes, that's just showing them that their scared of losing. Fast brooms may make things easier, but it all depends if the players can actually do well at their game. Then their little brother Ron got mad when the Malfoy git called Hermione a mudblood. At first she was confused, but Fred and George told her what it meant after, and couldn't blame Ron for trying to make him eat slugs. Unfortunately, his wand was broken, courtesy of taking a flying car to school, and it backfired. It was the grossest, yet funniest thing she'd seen, watching poor Ron vomit slugs.

"What's wrong Z?" George asked.

Zavy shook her head, "Nothing. The weather usually puts me in a downer mood. I like the rain, but it just makes me depressed."

"Aww, cheer up mate, were going to get something fun to do after Hogsmeade. Got to get Malfoy back for insulting Hermione," Fred winked at her.

Zavy smiled faintly, "I think I'm just going to go find my brother and grab a spot of lunch."

"Great, we'll go with you," said Fred and George in unison.

Zavy laughed a bit and exited the common room, with Fred and George on either side of her. They had taken to doing that a lot. It seemed that she was always in between them, like they were guarding her from something. She mentally searched for Brenden, soon finding him at the library. Figures. She made her way there while Fred and George laughed amongst themselves about the splotch on the wall they made a week ago. They entered the library and spotted Brenden sitting with Hermione at one of the far tables.

"Merlin's beard, since when do you two set foot in the library?" Hermione asked, surprised to see them. She refused to acknowledge Zavy until she apologized for what she said about Lockheart. Zavy refused, telling her that she meant every word she said. Hermione became friends with Brenden, probably for the fact that they were always in the library getting ahead of everyone. Zavy was serious about her studies, but liked to have fun once in a while to. Especially after seeing Hermione, she didn't want to be the boring stick in the mud like her.

"Shut your trap Hermione, we're here to pick up Brenden," Fred told her.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Brenden inquired to Zavy.

"Just bored, let's go get something to eat," she replied, turning to leave without waiting for an answer.

"Would you care to join us Hermione?"

"No thank you, I don't want to be anywhere near that cow," she retorted, packing up her things.

"You should look in a mirror hunny, your no prize yourself. At least I can run a brush thru my hair," Zavy said, her eyes flashing red. Hermione bit her lip and stormed out.

"Can't you be nice for three seconds?" Brenden groaned.

"She attacked me first, I'm not going to let some little know it all girl get the best of me, even if she is better than those in her year," Zavy said, all defiance in her voice, "Besides, I wasn't that mean, you know I can be a lot nastier if I wanted to."

"Agreed," said the twins, making their way towards the Hall.

They were on the second floor when Zavy and Brenden stopped. A flash of red light came flying at Zavy, and it instantly disapated before it hit her. She saw some girls running away from her. This was not the first time someone had tried to attack her. She had never stopped insulting Lockheart to his face, and had at least six detentions already from it. She didn't understand, they praised her for anything mean she said to Snape, but wanted to kill her when she said something about Lockheart. Girls just didn't make any sense.

They entered the Hall and sat near Ginny, who was sitting by herself, writing in a book. Her ears were smoking from the sudden need of Pepperup Potions, making it look like her whole head was on fire. Seasons were changing, and that always brought on colds. Zavy was so thankful for magic in times like this. The muggle way of dealing with it took long. The taste wasn't much different though.

"Hey red," Zavy greeted as she sat down. Ginny closed the book instantly, startled. She looked up and smiled. "Diary?" Zavy asked.

Ginny nodded, "Sort of."

Zavy caught Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the corner of her eye, walking towards the opposite end of the table. Zavy smiled at Harry, having gotten to know him a little at one of Lockhearts detentions. Hermione didn't even look in their direction, but increased her pace like Zavy was the plague itself. She laughed at the little girls antics, She'll find out soon enough...

"What's so funny?" asked Brenden.

"Your face," she responded dully, eating the food she had placed on her plate.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" he asked, ignoring her answer.

"Of course. So long as I don't melt in the rain."

"Are you going?" asked Lee Jordan, who took Ginny's recently vacated seat.

"Oi, where have you been then?" asked George.

"Detention with Snape. Said something rude to Lockheart, and Snape just happened to be walking by. Bloke decided that he would punish me on Lockheart's behalf, suggesting that he needed to tend to himself. Ruddy git pretty much told me I'd live in the dungeons if my commentary wasn't up to his satisfactory. I'd like to see him try."

"You really think aggravating him more is going to help your cause?" asked Zavy.

"Put it this way love," started Fred, "Gryffindor wins and Snape then tries to punish Lee, McGonagall will step up thinking that he's just being a sore loser."

"Only if you're lucky," said Brenden, "Aren't you always getting yelled at during the match?"

"Usually, but she never really does anything. I think she only yells at me to make it look like she's not being biased, because she only does it when Gryffindor plays," answered Lee.

"Sometimes I think that all this time and effort devoted to Quidditch could better be used finding new ways to develop for your shop and then really show people what your made of," said Zavy.

"Woman, you just don't understand Quidditch," said George.

"No I believe I do. I'm just immune to the stupidity caused by it. Watching it can be very exciting, I'll give you that. Put putting your every focus onto it like you'll die without really says something about how simple one's mind it."

The four boys stared at her like she had three heads. They looked at one another, and then back at her. Zavy was still eating pudding like she hadn't insulted them whatsoever. Zavy only had minimal warning. When the four of them were quiet for too long, she looked up and had seen that they were still trying to process what she had said and what they were going to do about it. She slowly stood, their curious eyes following her. Then, with a wink, she dashed off out of the hall. It only took a moment before they were chasing after her, planning on getting sweet revenge for the insult she had delivered.

She was back in the common room, knowing it wasn't all that safe, but at least she could throw people in her way should they decide to enact revenge. But the boys had not come back, and that made Zavy good to know that she had lost them. She saw Ron, Hermione and Harry sitting in the common room working on homework.

"Hi Zavy," Harry greeted her. The two of them shared the same opinion of Lockheart's detentions, making it easy to become friends.

"You lot look busy," she smirked at them. Ron made a sour face into his parchment. From the looks of it, it was for Potions. Hermione was indifferent to her presence.

"We were just discussing Halloween. Would you like to come to a deathday party with us?"

"A deathday party?" she raised a brow.

"Reckon it won't be too good," said Ron.

"I'm assuming its for one of the ghosts."

"Yeah, Nearly Headless Nick. He asked me to come and bring friends," explained Harry.

"That honestly sounds interesting. How does a ghost throw a party? But I'm already committed to the twins Halloween day. I know they want to continue discussing Hogsmeade at least, first visit of the year."

"Lucky git. I wish I could go to Hogsmeade. But no, we have to wait until next year," grumbled Ron.

"I'm sure your brothers bring you all manner of interesting things," smiled Zavy.

"Yeah, if you trust it."

"Oh Ronald, always such a downer. You'll give Snape a run for his money if you keep acting like that," said Zavy, smiling and pinching his cheek.

"You will tell me if they're up to something, will you?" asked Ron hopefully.

"Do you honestly think that they tell me everything?"

"Well..."

Zavy heard the twins' voices behind her. She turned to look and noticed that the common room was becoming fuller with students coming back from the Great Hall. The younger years were starting to form a circle around them, which drove Zavy's attention away. Once she saw that Fred was holding a salamander, she crossed her arms and stared at him like he was an idiot.

"Where did you get that?" asked Zavy.

"I rescued it," declared Fred.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"So I suppose if Grubbly-Plank were to notice one missing, she would be grateful to hear that you rescued this one?"

"Oi! Don't you go rattin' us out!" said George.

"Don't lie to me then," she smirked.

"I would never lie to you," said Fred sweetly.

"What do you plan on doing with that poor creature?"

"I told you, I rescued it."

"And I'll probably have to re-rescue it then?"

"She's going to find out anyway," said George.

"Yes, as will all of you. What happens when you feed a Filibuster Firework to a salamander?! Any takers?" Fred called to the crowd.

"Two galleons a bet!"

"Anyone?"

Zavy narrowed her eyes pointedly at the two boys while they held their hands out. The students were reluctant to hand out money under her steely gaze, but Fred's grin and natural human curiosity made her lose the battle. She stood there with her brow raised and watched as this poor creature ate the Filibuster Firework. It didn't take long to figure out what was going to happen. Everyone crowded around as the salamander smoldered on the table. After that, it started to rise into the air and whirled around the room, sparks and crashes resembling thunder emitting from its mouth. It soared around the room, not a care in the world, causing Zavy to laugh despite herself. The twins winked in her direction and she decided to call it a night once Percy's reprimanding had finally reached the point where she thought she might be deaf.

_You will see him when the timing is right._

_You will be destined for greatness._

_He will bear the unbearable with you._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

_She will come from across the sea._

_She will come when the timing is right._

_The adventure will soon begin_

_She is your destiny._

_Are you ready?_

Zavy and George awoke with a start in their beds. Zavy did not know why she woke everytime startled from this dream, she had been having it for years. However, it seemed to be getting more intence since she had started at Hogwarts. George was feeling the same thing, that the dream was becoming more intence since the year had started. Both of them laid back in their beds, absentmindedly thinking about each other. It was not the first time they had coincided like this, dream and person, but neither of them really gave it much thought. Zavy sighed and got up to have a shower. George went back to sleep.

Brenden and Zavy met Fred, George and Lee in the Great Hall.

"Where are we headed first?" asked Fred when they reached their destination.

"Let's go to Honeydukes, since it's the closest place anyway," Brenden replied. George and Zavy nodded and they made their way to the candy store. George showed Zavy a few of the candies there.

"See this love? This is what were modifying right now. We're going to call them Canary Creams. You eat one, and once it takes effect, you sprout yellow feathers. We still haven't worked out how to stop it or how long it lasts. Limitations without being able to use magic at home see," explained George.

"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure you two can pull it off. Have you made anything else?" Zavy asked, eating a chocolate frog.

"We started on something, but mum found it and took it away. She doesn't know about the shop, obviously, but it can be hard to cover up explosions when we can't use magic. The best we can do is potions. She doesn't agree with our way of life, says we ought to be more like perfect prefect Percy... stuck up git."

Zavy laughed, "He is a bit stuck up, but he's still your brother."

"Please don't remind us," said Fred, rolling his eyes. They left Honeydukes and proceeded with everything else on their agenda. Two hours later maybe, they were back at the school, thinking of what else they could do to fill up their Saturday.

"Well, I've got some extra work I can do. Cheers," said Brenden, leaving them, probably for the library again. As they walked towards the Hall, Zavy felt a strange presence and looked behind her. She saw a man with a cane, and white blond hair, dressed in nothing but black. Warning bells were going off in her head, there was something evil about this man, something that told her she should be walking away.

"Who is that man?" she asked the twins, getting their attention.

"That's Lucious Malfoy, sworn enemy of my dad in the Ministry. He's Draco's father, and he was part of the dark wizards years ago. The only reason he's not in Azkaban is because of his money," Fred explained, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her away from him.

He did not spot them, and for that, Zavy was greatful. She felt that if he did know she or Brenden were around, the whole point of hiding them would be useless. They entered the common room and sat down at their usual spot near the fire place. Many of the first years surrounded them, but they were tired from walking all day to really care. Fred and George each laid down on her lap, gazing into the dancing flames. Zavy absentmindedly pulled out a book and begin to read. Sometimes they would just sit like that when there was nothing else to do, on days like today. When it was getting late, Zavy yawned and announced that she was going to bed, but it didn't matter since the twins were already sleeping. She smiled and bashed their heads together.

"I'm going to bed losers. Night," she said, laughing up the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

It was going to be a long day. They could all feel it, as Fred, George, Zavy and Brenden sat in potions. Zavy enjoyed potions, and was very good at brewing them. Things would be great if she didn't have to deal with Snape all the time. It didn't bother her that she had to be partnered with George and not Brenden. They'd probably be too competetive about it anyway, whereas with George, he had decent skill, and the rest was up to her. Their potions came out perfect everytime, and Snape hated that. He'd spend a long time looking for a flaw in it, but had no choice but to give them full marks.

Maybe the day felt long because Halloween was tomorrow, maybe it felt long because they had double potions, or maybe it was this feeling nagging at Zavy and Brenden, either way they just wanted it to end so they could move on to lunch and get as far away from Snape as possible. He had deliberately gave them a complicated potion, hoping that maybe George and Zavy would fail for once. But alas, at the end of class they had brewed another perfect potion. Everyone was getting ready to leave for lunch.

"Miss DelCotta, a word if you please?" Snape sneered at her, sitting at his desk.

_No, I do NOT. _She nodded mutely and walked up where he sat. "Yes?" she asked as pleasantly as she could force out of herself.

"Are you using your. particular. talents to tamper with your potions?" he accused, his eyes had a venomous glare in them.

Her eyes flashed red, "No sir. I've just always been good at brewing potions."

"Don't. even think. about lying to me. You're not the only one who can see into other people's minds."

"Then have a look sir. I have nothing to hide," she narrowed them, daring him to see for himself that she was just as good as he was. He stared at her, then looked away in a form of dismissal. She left, morally affended that he would think she'd do such a thing. How DARE he think that she coulnd't brew a decent potion without her powers? Who did he think he was anyway? _The pole has got a long way to go to get out of his ass, _was her last thought on the subject as she entered the common room to drop off her things. She grabbed a smoke, deciding it would be good to calm down first before dealing with her friends.

She made her way to the entrance of the castle, and walked along the forest line so that no one would see her. She had started smoking when she was about nine years old. Only her brother knew about her secret habbit, and she wanted to keep it that way. Everyone here seemed too innocent, and didn't much care for her in the first place. Why make more enemies? Since she had been here, she hadn't been smoking as much as she used to, there were too many distractions. She finished her smoke and then disintgrated it, so that there would be no evidence. She didn't feel much like walking back, so she concentrated on the wall beside the entrance of the school. The picture clear in her mind and in and instant, she was there. This was not the first time she had managed to do this. Dumbledore had told her that it was apparating when a wizard or witch puts themselves in a different spot. She walked into the school and made her way to get some lunch before she would be going to transfiguration.

"How'd it go with Snape?" Brenden asked when she sat down at the end of Gryffindor table, with Fred and George. He gave her a knowing look, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Bastard thought I was tampering with my potions. Couldn't be bothered to prove it so he let me leave," she explained, grabbing a sandwich. Everyone else had already eaten, they just decided to wait around for her. "I refuse to go to Defence today. I'm skiving off to do something better with my time."

"Zavy... I don't particularly think that's a good idea," Brenden cautioned.

"I don't care. I don't want to deal with that piece of shit teacher today, not in the mood for it."

"S'all right mate, we'll go with her. I'm sure we can find anythign better to do than deal with the next natural disaster," George offered. Truth be told, he wasn't into it either, he was waiting for someone to say they weren't going.

"Yeah, we can sneak into Hosgmeade and get something fun to do there for Halloween tomorrow," said Fred, excited to play a prank.

Zavy smiled, "I'd sure like to get Snape and Lockheart this year. Tear down their ego a bit, if that's at all possible." Zavy looked up and noticed Ginny walking into the Hall. There was a strangely haunted look on her face, as if she weren't really there. Zavy didn't give it much thought. Probably just under pressure from all the schooling she was never used to.

"I'm mostly just excited for the feast. We're too old to go trick or treating anyway, and none of you seem to do it," said Brenden, grabbing a cookie.

"Trick..."

"or.."

"Treat?" Fred and George looked at them confused.

Zavy laughed, "It's what we used to do back home. Dress up in costumes and go door to door and collect candy. It's mostly for kids, but it was still fun to scare them."

"Back home? Which one?" George inquired. They weren't telling thier real story, and just left it unanswered or changed the subject. It wasn't that they didn't trust Fred or George, it was more so they didn't care to talk about it.

Zavy smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know?" she dismissed with a wink.

Even sitting in Transifiguration was horribly boring. Zavy sat with Fred, while their head of house stood there, trying to show some Hufflepuff girl how to change the seat of her desk into a recliner for the umpteenth time. Zavy sighed, gave a single thought and a recliner was now in the place where her chair once stood. Fred was having a bit of trouble. His came out looking like a school chair with a foot rest.

"Miss DelCotta, I have something rather specific the Headmaster would like you to work on. I've already spoken to your brother about it, and it will require more instruction, and promises to be more challenging than any of this. If you'll follow me over here please, anyone can tell you're bored with this," McGonagall came over to her, seeing her create the chair with ease. Zavy nodded and followed her to her office behind her classroom.

"Now, you've heard the term animagous before correct?" she asked Zavy.

"Yeah, when a witch or wizard turns into an animal," she replied, confused.

"Well, professor Dumbledore would like you to work on turning yourself not into just one animal, but as many as you can possibly think of. We only have the option of one animal, but you and your brother can turn yourselves into man. But it takes a lot of concetration, and no one gets it right the first time, so don't be alarmed if you forget to put a heart of lung in there. I will be coaching you thru it all after the Christmas break."

"But aren't we supposed to register?"

"Since you can take multiple forms, there will be no need to register," McGonagall replied smiling. Zavy nodded her head once and left. She knew instantly which form she wished to take, a white wolf.

Fred, George and Zavy met up in the common room after their lesson. They decided that they would take the secret passage to Honkeydukes and spend some time in Hosgmeade, shopping and just having some fun. Zavy shopped around and picked up a little something for Brenden, and then left with the twins to stop in at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. In their opinion, this was better than DADA any day. After a few drinks, Zavy happily walked with the twins to Zonko's for some pre Halloween fun. It was "devil's night" after all, and they had to make a good impression as to what was to come the next night. Zavy was surprised at some of the things the twins were planning. They seemed to be more devious than ever, not just a normal joke. She pondered it for a moment, then they decided to head back to school before Honeydukes closed.

The Gryffindor common room was full of chattering students of every year, with Halloween coming up, there was too much excitemeny for anyone to sleep. Zavy enjoyed her random conversations with her dorm mates, Angelina and Katie. Fred, George, and Lee were terrorizing first years about the things that would go on during this wonderous and spooky day. Zavy laughed at their antics, and looked over at Ginny. For some reason, she still had that look to her as if she weren't quite there.

"How was your day?" Brenden asked, walking up to her with Hermione.

"How'd you get in here?" she asked, surprised to see him.

"Hermione let me in, she has something to say to you."

Hermione looked up at Zavy shyly, "I-I'm sorry for all those horrible things I said about you. I'm starting to see now what you've been trying to say about professor Lockheart."

Zavy smiled, "No worries lady. I'm sorry to."

"I had been noticing that he can't perform the simplest of spells. If he had been as great as his stories said, then he should be able to handle a little thing like pixies."

Zavy patted her head, and turned to George, who had just came to them, putting an arm around Zavy for support. They had a little too much to drink, which didn't bother Zavy, she hadn't gotten drunk in a while, and was thoroughly enjoying herself. For the first time in a long time, she didn't have a care in the world, and loved the feeling of it. The feeling was especially welcomed when she went up to her bed and fell asleep instantly.

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

Zahava awoke instantly with a gasp. _A new dream?_ Things were definately getting weird now. At first, having the same dream meant that it could just be nothing, something random made by her subconcious. But now that it had changed, now that there was a different message, what was going to happen? What was her destiny? When was all of this supposed to take place? Ready for what? She shook her head, trying to force herself to think of something else.

George awoke in his bed, having had the same dream as Zavy. He starting think about it, how it had changed. Was there something he was expected to do? He didn't even know what any of it meant, so how could anyone expect him to do anything about it? He rubbed his eyes, looking around the dorm. Fred and Lee were already gone, which meant he had woken up late, again. Not that he was an early riser or anything, he just wasn't usually the last to wake up, but it had been happening a lot for frequently as of late.

George walked into the Hall for a late breakfast. He did not see Fred, Zavy or Lee, but instead spotted Angelina talking with Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor team captain. He made his way over there, for the sake of having some company.

"Hello, George?" Angelina looked at him as he approached. He nodded and sat down beside Oliver. He was used to people not knowing the difference between him and his brother. How could they not see that he was the better looking one? "If your looking for Lee, Zavy and Fred, they left almost a half hour ago, I think to wake you up."

George shrugged and grabbed some food, "I'm sure I'll find them, or they'll find me eventually."

"You and Zavy get a long eh?" Oliver asked George.

"Yeah, she's brilliant actually."

"And not to bad to look at either," said Oliver, smiling. George dismissed his comment, but something small was telling him he should be upset.

"I suppose not. What's up anyway? Your Wood?" George teased, wondering where he was trying to go with this.

"I was just wondering if she was free is all. I wouldn't mind taking her off your hands for a night or two," he answered with a lusty smirk. George was unsure of what to think. Part of him wanted to tell Wood to back off, but another side, most likely the rational one, said that it doesn't matter, Zavy can do what she wants.

"You'd have to ask her. She'd kill me anyway if I made a desicion for her," was all he said before stuffing his face with much needed food.

"I just might do that right now," Wood replied, as he looked at the entrance of the Hall. George looked as well and saw she was entering with Fred, Lee and Brenden around her. They made their way to where he sat and took seats themselves.

"There you are you lazy git, we just went back to see if we could wake you up," Fred said when he sat down beside Angelina.

"Hey Zavy, how would you fancy a stroll around tonight? We can come back and meet up with everyone here in time for the feast?" Wood inquired towards her.

Zavy smiled politely, "Sorry, I've already got plans with these boys," she declined. In truth, she wanted to go, but didn't want the twins to think she was ditching them for some other boy. For some reason, George was very pleased to hear that she wouldn't be going. The very thought of her going anywhere with him was very offensive, and he didn't understand why.

"Some other time then?" Wood asked hopefully.

"Maybe."

"Well, now that that's all out of the way, let's go frog breath, we've got work to do before the day is over. You coming with us Ange?" Fred encourage. He obviously had been impatient throughout the whole morning, waiting for George to get up.

"No, not my thing mates. Just warn me if there's anything I shouldn't be doing," she replied.

"Will do mate. Later," Fred said, grabbing Zavy and George, practically dragging them out of the Hall.

"Oi, I happen to be quite fond of my arm here," George said. He felt as if it was being pulled out of place.

"Quit your whining," Fred retorted, letting go fo their arms.

"That's it Lee, thrash him!" Zavy said, her eyes flashing orange. George was still uncertain as to whether or not he was seeing things. When she looked back at him with a wicked smile, they seemed to have an orange tinge mingled with the emerald that they usually were, but he couldn't be sure if that was maybe his or Fred hair reflecting in them. They all laughed down the hallway, preparing for their Halloween scare.

Zavy met up with Brenden at the feast and beckoned him to sit at the Gryffindor table. He shook his head and stayed at the Ravenclaw table, talking to Cho Chang, their teams seeker. Zavy suspected it was about something a little more than Quidditch this time. She turned her attention back to the food and the bats flying about. She laughed at all the girls freaking out that they might get in their hair, and threw food at randoms walking around. The Hal was brilliantly decorated. Hagrid had grown pumpkins that could fit three grown men, all carved into scary shapes with candles inside them. The food seemed to taste better than usual, even the bits that hit her because of a failed dodge. Of course she threw food at her friends, it was fun. She didn't particularly like having it thrown back at her, but at least it still tasted good. The teachers sat at their table, watching all the ruckus with smiles, bored expressions, rolling their eyes, and an it gets worse every year looks. All in all, it was fun, one of the best she's had yet until...

A student came running into the Hall, "COME QUICKLY!" she yelled and ran back in the direction she came. Everyone vacated at once, wondering what was going on. Zavy followed the crowd with Fred and George on either side of her until they reached Moaning Murtle's bathroom. Zavy gasped at what she saw. There on the floor was a huge puddle of water, and lying very still, Mrs. Norris, Filtch's cat. She looked up and saw, written in blood "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."

"My cat! Mt cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" shrieked Filch, coming to sit near her. Then he turned to look at Harry, "You! You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"Argus!" Dumbledore had come to the source of the commotion, a lot of staff members with him, including that loser Lockheart. He took the motionless cat with his hands gently, nodded at Filch and then looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. His gaze fell towards Zavy and Brenden, then towards the rest of the students. What was happening?

"Come with me, Argus," he spoke to Filch, "You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

Lockheart spoke up then, "My office is nearest, Headmaster, just upstairs, please feel free-"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," Dumbledore nodded. He walked in the lead, McGonagall, Snape, Lockheart, Filch and the Golden Trio in their wake. The students parted like the sea in order to let them pass. Zavy heard the Prefects trying to get their Houses in order, but Zavy was staring towards where her god father just walked, towards Lockheart's office. She turned to see her brother give her the same look, and then they both dashed off after him.

"Zavy!" called Fred. She could hear the twins behind them. Damn the rules, she wanted to know what was going on.

They slowed down as they approached the office, not wanting themselves to be heard. They listened at the door, waiting until they could hear something. Lockhearts office was in the back of the classroom he taught, but they didn't want to go in unless they weren't going to be seen.

"This is bollocks," said George, "There's got to be a way to hear things from far away."

"One that doesn't use a spell, an ear that could hear or-"

"An Extendable Ear!" they spoke together.

If the situation were different, Zavy would have found that notion amusing and brilliant. But she was more focused on what was going on here. She opened the door to the classroom quietly, and noted that the office door was closed. The four of them crept towards it, leaning their heads close towards wherever they could fit their heads without getting hit by the door should someone open it. Filch was sobbing loudly, the rest were quiet. Zavy could only assume that they were examining the cat.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her, probably the Trans-mogrifian Toture. I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her..." Lockheart spoke in that pompous voice. Zavy rolled her eyes.

"She's not dead, Argus," said Dumbledore in a soft voice. Zavy could barely hear it over Lockheart talking and Filch's sobs.

"Not dead?" chocked Filch, "But why's she all... stiff and frozen?"

"She has been petrified."

"I thought so!" declared Lockheart.

"But by what, I cannot say..."

"Ask him!" screeched Filch, assuming he was pointing at Potter.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly, "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"

"He did it, he did it! You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found in my office.. he knows I'm a.. I'm a Squib!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" defended Harry, "And I don't even know what a Squib is!"

"Rubbish! He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"If I might speak, Heamaster," Snape interjected. Zavy held her breath. This would not be good, "Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," Zavy thought she was going to have heart failure right then and there, "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

At those words, the three second years burst into stories about a death day party in the dungeons. Zavy vaguely remembered hearing about it before Hogsmeade. She was sure one of the ghosts - Nick in particular - could vouch for them.

"But why not join the feast afterward? Why go up to that corridor?"

"Because... Because..." Harry sputtered, trying to think of a decent lie Zavy was sure. She was certain Snape would know, "...we were tired and wanted to go to bed."

"Without any supper? I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."

"We weren't hungry," said Ron. Zavy heard George snort a little too loud and she elbowed him.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

"Really, Severus," said McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence that Potter has really done anything wrong at all."

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," said Dumbledore.

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" declared Filch.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Madrakes. As soon as they have matured, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," said Lockheart, "I must have done it a hundred times. I could-"

"Excuse me, but I believe that I am the Potions master at this school," interjected Snape in a chilly voice.

Zavy laughed a little and then decided that there was nothing more here. She got the boys attention before quietly leaving the classroom and making for the common room. The only thing they had to watch out for was Peeves, as Brenden wordlessly went to the Ravenclaw Tower. What would possibly want to attack a cat? Sure, the cat wasn't all that popular, plenty of students had kicked her, but none would go as far this surely?


	8. Chapter 8

The attack on Mrs. Norris got all of the students talking. While Zavy knew exactly what happened and what the conclusion was for the time being, she was surprised at how fast the stories were embellished and changed. History of Magic was where most of the students talked about what had happened. The Great Hall during mealtimes was where the stories became wild and then were carried around the castle, only to be recalled in class. The buzz was starting to annoy Zavy, and if the situation were better than it actually is, she would be happy that no more attention was focused on her and her brother. But some rumours were completely and utterly ridiculous.

"The Chamber of Secrets is open again!"

"What do you mean again?"

"I heard it opened 50 years ago!"

"The heir of Slytherin opened it and killed a muggle girl!"

"The beast inside attacked all kinds of students!"

"Hogwarts was about to close!"

"But who is the heir?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter?"

"Why him?"

"He was there wasn't he? There when the cat was attacked!"

"Rubbish!"

"He survived the killing curse, he can do anything!"

And it went on like that for a few days. Everyone who wasn't in Gryffindor was claiming Potter as the heir. It was actually very amusing, the most unlikely child being the heir. Zavy knew that it was the only piece of gossip they had in a while, and they were going to ride it as far as they could. She opted to stay out of it. She didn't comment when she was asked, nor did she speak when she heard such absurdities. None of it really mattered to her, she was confident that Dumbledore would take care of it. Thankfully, the days rolled by and the whispers were starting to turn into talks of the first Quidditch match.

Zavy sighed looking out the window. She was happy that Lockheart had a soft spot for Quidditch, so at least she wouldn't miss the first match tomorrow. It would be Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and she so hoped that those snakes would go down. She hated being prejudice, but every Slytherin she met seemed to have that pompous attitude, and pretty much hated the whole house. She turned back to signing Lockheart's ridiculous fan mail. Where all these people blinded by him? She shook her head a bit and looked at the clock. _Finally._

"Sir, it's 5:30, I'm going to leave now," she said, getting up without waiting for a reply. He nodded, barely paying attention to anything else, as she practically ran out the door. She made her way to the Hall, seeing as she skipped lunch to make it in time for Care of Magical Creatures. The wondrous things they had made it her favourite class, and she would never miss it for anything. As she entered the Hall, she saw no sign of her brother or the twins. A bit put out, she sat down at the end of Gryffindor table, and began to eat. The attacks on her for Lockheart's behalf had stopped, once she had turned some fifth year Hufflepuff into a toad. That was what her detention was about today. Her god father, though amused, could not let it go unpunished, and then that git Snape had suggested she serve her detention with Lockheart. If it wasn't for Dumbledore sitting there, Zavy was sure she would have made Snape regret he said anything.

"Detention again?" Brenden asked, sitting in front of her. Zavy nodded at him, chewing on her chicken. Brenden sighed, "You're always in detention. Can't you just control that horrible thing inside you that makes you lash out without bothering to think about the consequences?"

"If the consequences are just detention, then there's not much to think about," she replied, helping herself to more potatoes.

"That's not what I'm talking about. What about when our enemies come for us? And you do something irrational that could possibly get us killed?"

"That irrationality may be the most rational thing. It may just save us."

"You can't get lucky every time Z. You have to learn more self control."

"Watch me," was all she said before they were joined by Fred and George.

"And how is our little troublemaker?" Fred asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Yeah, we noticed your absence and wondered where you might've run off to," George threw in, sitting on her other side. Zavy sighed yet again and continued to eat. She wasn't really in a mood for jokes, she was tired and frustrated, and mostly just wanted to go to bed. She finished up her supper and left without a word back to the commons. She walked through the portrait hole and sat down on the chair near the fire. She noticed Ginny sitting at one of the tables, writing her that book like she always was.

The attack on Mrs. Norris seemed to have really upset the first year. She was starting to look pale, as well as losing sleep. Zavy supposed this wasn't the best way to enter the school, a lot of first years were spooked. After a few moments, her brothers came in and seated themselves on the couch near her. Zavy knew they wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of being nosy for too long.

"Mind telling us what's wrong love?" Fred asked. He was usually the first.

"Nothing. Just tired, not really up for anything right now besides sleep," she replied.

"Plenty of time for sleep when your dead, now come on, cheer up eh?"

Zavy smiled faintly, yawning to emphasize her point, "If it's alright with you two, I think I'll just head to bed early tonight."

Once again, she left, without waiting for a reply. Fred and Georgo looked at each other and shrugged.

"What do you think that was all about?" George asked, watching her disappear up to the girls dormitories.

"Beats me. Maybe she's exhausted from answering all of Lockheart's fan mail. It takes a lot out of you to have to deal with him for two extra hours after class," Fred joked. George suspected that maybe it was a bit more than that...

_She will come from across the sea._

_She will come when the timing is right._

_The adventure will soon begin._

_She will be your destiny._

_Are you ready?_

George opened his eyes slowly. This dream was really starting to annoy him, however, only briefly, as he forgot about it after his shower. Today would be the first Quidditch match, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The Weasley twins were excited to finally get back at Flint and Malfoy for being the usual gits that they were. Flint had been trying to pick a fight with either twin on countless occasions, but today, George was determined hit a bludger right at his thick skull, fast broom or not.

Zavy came down to the hall for breakfast to see Fred and George already there, in their uniforms. She sat down across from them and began to eat, listening to Oliver Wood tell the team of their plan and give them a pep talk. He was explaining tactics that could work against fast brooms, but as Zavy listened, she thought that maybe he was putting too much on chance.

"What if you have Harry fake seeing the snitch? The Malfoy kid clearly has no idea what he's doing, and he's going to be following Harry throughout the match, counting on his speed to catch the snitch before him. Get Harry to fake it, so that maybe he'll think on his own for a mere minute or two," Zavy cut him off. It's not that his play was a bad idea, it just left too much to chance, and chance can't be counted on.

Oliver looked at her, thinking for a moment, "That's actually a good idea love, thanks. Too bad someone as pretty as you didn't try out for the team," he winked at her.

Zavy smirked. "I like to watch, not play," she said, eating a piece of toast. Soon after breakfast, she made her way with Brenden and Luna to the pitch, sitting with the Ravenclaw's. Though they weren't competing in this match, they'd have much prefered the company of a Gryffindor victory, rather then a Slytherin one. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw never really had problems with each other, and they were used to the mingling of Zavy and Brenden, and accepted her as an extended part of their house, like Gryffindor did for Brenden.

They heard Madam Hooch's whistle and the match was to begin. Fourteen student on brooms rose into the air. The Slytherins were zooming everywhere. No one had anticipated this amount of speed. Harry was also zooming, only slightly slower. Zavy saw that Harry used her tactic well, because Malfoy had stopped following him. She then noticed something else. A bludger was following him, seeming to only aim directly at him. She saw George bash it towards Adrian Pucey, but it swung around him and went back at Harry. George once again sent it away, towards Malfoy, but it changed direction in mid air and came back towards its target. Harry flew away in front of where she sat, but the bludger would have none of that and flew towards him at once. Harry moved out of the way and the bludger was heading right for her. She was about to dispose of it when George was suddenly there and bashed it away from them. He turned and winked at her before flying away to continue the match.

"I must say, that's incredible," said a third year Asian girl sitting behind Zavy.

"I guess. Aren't you on the team with my brother?" Zavy replied, turning around and getting a better look at her.

"Yeah. My name's Cho Chang. I'll be playing seeker for my second year in a row. Competing with Harry is quite fun," she said smiling.

The rogue bludger was determined, Zavy would give whoever had bewitched it that. The bludger faithfully followed Harry around the pitch. Fred knocked it away, almost happy that he had finally got it, the bludger just continued to follow him. Zavy narrowed her eyes, this was definitely tampering of some sort. It started to rain, Lee was still commentating, Slytherin in the lead. The twins were following Harry closely. The seeker would be untouched, but there was another bludger on the field. Zavy watched as Angelina took a bludger full force before she was about to score the first goal for Gryffindor. Wood called a time out, and Zavy wished at that point she had practiced listening in someone else's mind.

It wasn't long. They were up in the air just as the rain started to fall heavier. Zavy noted that the twins were focusing on the whole pitch and not just Harry. She had never seen the boy fly before, and she didn't know why. He was easily the best on the field, the fast broom not really making much of a difference. It was one thing to fly fast, it was another to fly well. He was able to dodge the bludger gracefully while scanning the skies for the snitch. She noticed him stop by Malfoy, no doubt exchanging harsh words to each other. Unfortunately, that was how Harry's arm got broken, by being still for a little too long. The bludger had finally caught him. She could hear his arm break from where she sat and it made her cringe.

"Look Z!" cried Brenden. She looked to see Harry in pursuit of the snitch. She couldn't believe it after he had broken his arm, but there he was.

The match ended abruptly, Harry catching the snitch, even with his broken arm. He lay on the ground as the bludger still attacked him. Zavy had a single thought in her head and it stopped, simply just dead on the ground next to him. She went down to the pitch with everyone else to see if Harry was okay. That git Lockheart was claiming he could heal his arm no problem.

"No don't!" Zavy shouted, but it was to late. Lockheart had successfully deboned his arm. Zavy couldn't help but laugh, at him. _Poor Harry. _She waited until Fred and George were done and walked with them back up to the castle.

"I wonder why there was a rogue bludger there today," Fred mused as they went for some dinner.

"No idea. Is that not normal?" Zavy asked, starting to wonder herself.

"No, not at all. Usually they go wherever, but never target just one person," George explained.

"Then wouldn't that suggest that someone is trying to hurt Harry?" she inquired. Fred and George stopped.

"It wouldn't be the first time. Harry's a very special kid, and with what happened last year, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was trying to hurt him again," George looked at Fred sharply.

"What?" Zavy asked confused, looking between both of them.

"Last year, our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was a nervous bloke name Quirrel. Dumbledore was hiding the philosophers stone in the castle, behind a series of traps. Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed to be able to penetrate all their defences, and Harry found Quirrel at the end of it all. Turns out his body was being shared by You Know Who, and he tried to kill Harry since he had failed all those years ago," George told her the story. Zavy had already known about this wizard, but did not know his name since no one dared to speak it, and she did not want to ask her god father such things. She knew the story about how Harry had survived and came to Hogwarts last year. She did not however, know that and it all came as a surprise to her.

"But then, if he was defeated yet again, who else would be trying to hurt him?"

"Who knows love, there were a lot of supporters of You Know Who. They hide in the shadows now, but it'd probably just random that a bludger would do that. All I'm saying is it wouldn't surprise me if someone was trying to hurt him."


	9. Chapter 9

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

George opened his eyes slowly. The damnable dream, the one he had been having since Halloween. It was driving him nuts that it kept happening. When would it stop? What is it that he was supposed to be getting ready for? He rolled to his side and looked at the clock. 3:48 a.m. Well, at least he didn't wake up late, but it was too early for anything now. He took a deep breath, and tried to get back to sleep. Maybe a good fifteen minutes later, he was out like a light.

Since the attack on Mrs. Norris, there had been another. A little photographer named Colin Creevy, a huge fan of Harry's. His camera might possibly have had a picture of the attacker, but it had burnt up when they tried to look at the film. It was the talk of the school, who could possibly be the heir of Slytherin. Harry and his gang were convinced that it was Malfoy, but the two sets of twins didn't pay attention to any of that. Brenden was mildly curious, but didn't obsess over it like everyone else had taken upon themselves to do. Zavy and the twins focused more on getting people to laugh then fretting about a monster on the loose. Though she was worried about who might be next, she wasn't interested in playing hero.

There was a post on the bulletin about a self defence lesson on Saturday. It was being held to try and teach students how to properly duel and give them a chance to practise incase they needed to. Fred and George were very excited about it, but Zavy seemed to not care how she spent her Saturday, as long as she was having fun.

"Maybe you can take on Lockheart or Snape one on one," Fred suggested to her, knowing she wouldn't miss a chance to thrash them without getting expelled. She smiled wickedly and decided that if things could be like that, maybe she would go. After all, on her god father's insistance, she had been trying oh so hard to try and make an effort to keep herself out of detention. She was halfway caught up to the Weasley's, he had told her. Fred and George laughed when she shared that information. They had known she was trouble when she first made an outburst at Lockheart, and knew that she would be worth hanging aroud. They could easily believe that she might surpass them in a year alone with the attitude she put forward.

"Only if I can turn you into a toad first," she replied, walking away with them back to the commons. Zavy looked over at George who seemed to be in his own world today. The twins were usually very outspoken, and though George may have been a bit quieter than Fred, he was a little too quiet for her comfort.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked once they reached their spot by the fire place near the commons.

George looked at her, "It's nothing really, I've just been having this recurring dream. Today I just haven't managed to shake it off I guess."

"What kind of dream?" she asked, thinking of her own. She had it again this morning, and probably will tomorrow, as defines the term, recurring.

"I'm not really sure. It confuses me, but usually I don't think much of it, too busy trying to convince everyone that I'm the better looking twin," George grinned at her.

Zavy laughed, "Whatever tickles your pickle man," she said with a wink.

"By the way, what's a penny?" he asked her curiously.

"A penny is much like your knut, or pence in muggle England. It's worth basically nothing, but there for inconvenience just the same."

George nodded once in understanding. She sighed an inaudable sigh and looked out the window. "I'll be right back," she said, running up the dorm. She fished out her pack of smokes and took one out of the pack. Since the attacks, she had been smoking more, anxiety levels rising. She apparated to the line of the Forbidden Forest, careful to keep out of sight. She had read somewhere that no one could apparate in or out of Hogwarts, but for some reason, her and Brenden could. Maybe it was because they used a differnt form of magic? Sorcery didn't seem that different to her. Sometimes when she released her thought or wish, as she called it, she would say a word. Maybe it wasn't gibberish sounding, but it was a way of channeling all the same. She took a drag, not noticing there was a person walking her way.

"Hello there love, fancy seeing out here having a fag," Oliver's scottish brogue startled her. She turned to look at him, taking a drag of his smoke.

"Well, it's better here then where a teacher would go to put me in a useless detention with that asshole Snape or loser Lockheart," she replied smiling.

"You really have it out for them eh?"

"Snape seems to have issues with me, but he's like that with everyone. And Lockheart is just a fake who's trying to make a living in multiple people's shoes. I'd love to expose him to the world."

"Quite the minx you are," he said smiling, moving a bit closer to her. "How would you like to spend the next Hogsmeade trip with me? That is, if we can go?"

"Um. I'm not sure, that's still quite a bit away from now. I'll have to see what's going on first before I let you know."

"Well, I know how unpredictable you can be, so that's why I figured I'd ask early, so that you'd make sure to find room for me somewhere. You going to the next Quidditch match?"

"Of course, our team vs. my brothers. Can't wait for it, Brenden trains hard and I know he's a bullet on a broom."

"Well you better be rooting for our team, specifically me," Oliver winked at her and then turned to leave. Zavy smiled to herself, watching him go. She turned away, taking the final drag of her smoke and willing the tinge of pink to leave her cheeks. She apparated back to her dorm and put her things away. She waited until she heard Oliver come in and then head out again before going downstairs. It may not have been a secret operation, but she didn't want him blabbering about how fast she got upstairs, nor did she want anyone to know she could apparate.

"Took you long enough, what were you doing up there? Throwing a shit?" Fred asked as she approached them.

"Yeah, I forgot to take a picture and show it to you," she replied laughing at his face.

"Shit face!"

"Ass muncher!"

"Hag!"

"Homo!"

"PENIS!" George screamed as a way of silencing them. Fred looked him questioningly.

"Penis?" he asked.

"Zavy told me that whoever says penis the loudest wins. She said it was the penis game, the non sexual and less fun one, but still a game," George explained while Zavy fell to the floor giggling.

"Don't you laugh at us Miss, I-think-I'm-to-cool-to-teach-Fred-anything," said Fred, mocking her and beginning to tickle her sides. "Get 'er Forge!"

"On it, Gred."

"NOOO! Traitors!" she screamed, trying to squirm away from them, but it was no use. Not only was there two of them, but they were Gryffindor beater's for Godric's sake. They were built like a body builder not on steroids, there was no way she could get away. Sure, she could out fly them, but on the ground, she was completely useless. "NOO!!!" she screamed again. Finally, feeling like she was about to piss her pants, she concentrated as hard as she could, trying not to focus on what they were doing, but with great difficulty, and created a force to push them back. It was not big, just made them go to the opposite ends of the couch where she lay on the floor.

Fred and George looked at her, then at each other before reaching one simple conclusion, "Wicked."

Saturday morning was a very anticipated one. All around the school, students were excited for the upcoming meeting to help learn self defence. Zavy wasn't nearly as excited as everyone else. Her and Brenden stood near Fred, George and Lee, slightly bored, but there too see how a duel with wands would work. Much to their dismay, professor Lockheart stood atop one of the tables, as if he were going to be the one teaching. Zavy groaned, rolling her eyes as the students began to quiet down.

"Hello children. I have put together this meeting in hopes what we could learn how to duel, since some of you don't know how, or need some extra practice. Professor Snape will demonstrate with me how it is to begin," Lockeart began, gestering towards Snape. Snape walked up to stand in front of Lockeart, as they faced each other. "Wands at the ready in front of you, bow and then take a few steps away, then attack!"

"Stupefy!" cried Lockeart

"Expelliamous!" Snape said, quickly disarming him. Zavy smiled, not really caring which one got the other, but she knew that Lockheart was no match for the Bat King himself. Lockheart got up, pretending to dust myself off.

"Excellent professor Snape, good idea, showing the children how to disarm first. Alright now, split into two and practise, come on now," Lockheart encouraged.

Brenden turned to Zavy, "Good thing there's nothing for us to disarm," he whispered, as students still think they had vanished wands. Zavy smiled, but knew that Snape probably had an idea for them, as he always did.

"Why don't Mr. and Miss DelCotta pair up with someone else, other than themselves. We might as well separate the golden trio over there, and those Weasley twins," Snape suggested to Lockheart, walking over to where said children gathered. So Harry was paired with some Hufflepuff boy, Ron with a huge Slytherin, Hermione with huge Slytherin girl, though Zavy could swear she was a man, Fred with her, and Brenden with George.

"Expelliamous!" Fred shot the spell at her. She held up her hand and the red light stopped and disappeared as it came into contact with her shield. She let out a single concentrated thought and Fred's wand flew out of his hand, nearly poking Snape in the eye. He caught it, glaring at her as he brought it back to Fred.

"One suggests you be careful of where your aiming, Miss. DelCotta," he sneered at her before turning away to harass some other students. Zavy smiled a bit to herself and Fred just started at her.

"How did you do that? You didn't even say the word, and there was no light?" he asked, confused as to how she could remove the wand so easily. Zavy shrugged, but did not offer an explanation. It wasn't long after that Lockheart and his pigheadedness was commanding attention once again.

"Alright, now should we do a little test run? Potter, Weasley, why don't you come up here and show us what you've got," Lockheart said, pointing to Harry and Ron.

"No, I'm afraid Weasley's wand will do more harm to himself than Potter, but what if we get Mr. Malfoy up here instead?" Snape suggested.

"Splendid. Come on up then, hurry up," Lockheart said, delighted at the idea. Potter and Malfoy took their positions, walking away and soon ready to strike. Zavy watched as they countered spells nicely towards each other, until Malfoy created a snake. Something strange happened, Harry was walking forward, speaking a strange hissing sound, as if he were talking to the snake. He moved closer to it, as the snake looked ready to attack a second year Hufflepuff. Everyone seemed to be alarmed at the scene in front of their eyes. It seemed as if Harry was egging the snake to strike, but it merely left the room, sliding across the floor.

"What are you playing at?" the boy who nearly got attacked cried. Harry looked as confused as Zavy and Brenden. Couldn't they understand what he was saying to the snake? He may nearly have saved the boys life! Lockheart looked at a loss for words.

"Well, that's it for today, you can all leave now," he dismissed all of them, being the first out of the room. Zavy walked with Brenden, Fred, George and Lee.

"That's no good mates," Lee said once they entered the Gryffindor common room with Brenden. No one ever said anything about his presence there, since they knew he was Zavy's brother. And since he wasn't Slytherin, he was always welcome.

"I don't understand, what happened?" Zavy asked them, hoping to figure what has everyone so spooked.

"You mean you didn't hear it?" George asked curiously.

"I heard him talking to the snake, telling it to leave the boy alone. Harry saved that kids life, why is everyone so venomous about it?"

"You speak it to?" Fred asked, shocked.

"Speak what? Will one of you PLEASE tell me what's going on?" she cried, desperate for an answer.

"Harry was speaking Parsletongue. Didn't know he was actually trying to save the bloke's life, it sounded as if he were trying to get it to attack," Lee mused.

"And you speak it as well?" George asked Zavy, worried that her ability to talk to snakes might make everyone think she was the heir.

"I don't know what Parsletongue is, but yes I have the ability to talk to snakes. I can talk to all sorts of creatures, birds, rabbits, cats, wolves, even a hippogriff," she explained calmy, not understanding what the big deal was.

"Oh, well then, that would make more sense."

"What is this Parsletongue thing that you lot were talking about?" Brenden asked.

"It's the language of snakes. Salazar Slytherin could speak it, the heir of Slytherin most likely, You Know Who could, and now Harry. This is not good. No one will understand what he was doing," Lee told Brenden.

"Is it that big of a deal that someone can talk to snakes?" Zavy asked.

"Well, most of the wizards that turn out to be Parslemouth usually turn out to be dark wizards," Lee said gravely.

Zavy pondered that a moment. Just because most of them turned out ot be dark, surely there were a few that might've kept hidden because of this particular stereotype. She knew that Harry wasn't going to to turn out to be and evil wizard, yet she couldn't help but wonder what would happen now that his secret was out. She knew the rumour mill well enough around here by now, to know that the students would never let him live this up. It was going to be very annoying for him in the next few weeks to come. Hopefully they would all forget about it by then end of Christmas break.

"Oh well, we know Harry well enough to be able to defend him to death!" Fred cried nobally. Zavy swatted at him, smiling despite herself. Fred always had a way of turning a situation into a laugh, no matter how bad it seemed, and Zavy admired that about him.

"Well, I think it's about time I started reading up on this Chamber of Secrets idea, and maybe getting more information about it. I'd like to be prepared if anything else were to happen. I wasn't worried about it now, but I think putting it off wouldn't be a good idea anymore. Better to be safe than sorry," Brenden stated, mostly to himself before leaving to the library. Zavy watched him go, smiling slightly. She was happy that she had her brother to look after her. She looked over at George, who had a terribly relieved look on his face for some reason. _Hmmm._

"What's wrong homo?" she asked, walking over to him.

He looked at her eyes. They were a lightish purple, looking as if they were worried, "Zavy..."

"Yes?" she asked, kind of scared.

"I'm just happy that your not Parslemouth. It would make things so bad, considering all of the events happening at the school right now," he told her, smiling, but in all seriousness.

"George, I don't know how it works here, but in my world, it's not uncommon to be able to communicate with animals. There's really nothing to it, but I'm not sure that you could. Maybe, if you practised hard enough."

"Oi, what this your world were talking about? The fantasy in your head? The two of us are merely a witch and a wizard. Anything you can do, I can, and for all you know better."

"Whatever fiddle's your diddle," she said smiling, not bothering to correct him. She was also happy he chose not to challenge what she meant by "her world".

George smiled. She always seemed to be able to find something clever like that to say, "You'll have to show me how you talk to an owl, you might be able to figure out why Errol keeps flying into things before he manages to deliver our mail."

Zavy smiled, happy to know he wasn't mad at her, though she'd think it was childish and prejudice if he was. "Deal," was all she said.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione walked along the corridors, looking for Zavy. Since she had apoligized, Zavy turned out to be a very intelligent person, much like her brother. Sure, she joked around with the twins, but she had a brain in that blonde head, and wasn't afraid to use it. The three of them, Hermione, Brenden and Zavy would often have very sophisticated conversatoins that usually turned into fun debates. Everyone would learn something new from it, and return again at a different time for fun new facts. But despite her confidence, Hermione needed Zavy's help. Now was not the time for debates, now was the time for action. She checked the library, the common room, and knocked at her dorm. There were only two places she could be, the Hall, or in Hogsmeade. If she went to the wizard village, Hermione would have to wait. Without the twins hair lighting as a beacon, she was very hard to find, seeing as they went home for the Christmas holidays. Hermione was in luck, for she saw Zavy sitting with Brenden at the end of the Ravenclaw table in the Hall.

"Hello Hermione," Brenden greeted pleasantly, gestering for her to have a seat. She slightly blushed, but sat down beside him.

"Um, I actually have a question for you Zavy," she said, not making eye contact. No matter how sure she was, there was a chance that she messed something up, and it was best to get help from one of the top potion masters.

"Shoot," she said, eating a holiday cookie.

"Well, Harry, Ron and I, well, that is, mostly me, have brewed a polyjuice potion. But I know it's more than what we learn in our year, and seeing as how your one of the best around here, I was wondering if maybe you could, take a look at it? Just to make sure I haven't messed anything up," Hermione stammered.

Zavy smiled slightly. For Hermione to admit someone was better than her must take a great deal of effort, "Sure. But on one condition. Why are you brewing a polyjuice potion?"

"Oh well um, you see, we're going to become Slytherins for an hour to um, get some information from Malfoy."

"I see. Well, it doesn't really concern me, I was just curious. I take it you've done everything by the book and it's been stewing for a month?"

Hermione nodded, "It's nearly time for testing, but I want to make sure I have it absolutely right, since the consequences aren't very nice."

"Alright, when did you want me to take a look at it then?"

"Whenever you're free?"

"Let's get it ovwe with then," Zavy said, standing. Hermione got up and led the way to Moaning Mutle's bathroom. Zavy looked at the cauldron on the floor containing the potion. Thick, goupy, green, raunchy, perfect. "It seems you have everything spot on. Too bad I'm not a teacher, or I'd give you full marks," Zavy complimented the girl, truly impressed. "Just remember to make sure you use human hair," she reminded her before leaving. She didn't really care to see how this possible disaster would turn out.

Zahava walked back to her common room, truly bored. With Fred and George gone, she never realized how boring school was. She missed her friends more than she thought she would, and their silly antics that she was included upon. They had been gone for a week and she was absentmindedly wondering how she was able to stay sane. Even Lee and her dorm mates were gone back to their families, so the only company she really had was Brenden, Harry, Ron and Hermione. A couple of times, her and Brenden had went up to their god father's office to discuss their progress and what was going on in their lives.

"Could you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?" Brenden asked. He and Hermione had been doing a lot of research on the subject, but hadn't found anything. Dumbledore was not shocked as they both thought he would be.

"I suppose I could. I knew this question was going to come up, but I had hoped it would've been later, rather than sooner. The tale goes like this, Salazar Slytherin had made a secret chamber, hiding in it, a beast of his liking. He sealed it and it was never opened until about fifty years ago. The heir of Slytherin had returned to Hogwarts, and he opened the chamber yet again. The beast only attacks half bloods and muggle borns, because Salazar beieved that only pure bloods should be allowed to enter the school. Unfotunately, the beast killed a student, and the school was to be forced to close until the purpetrator came forth to confess. He was expelled immediately, and his wand broken, never to cast another spell again.

"In my personal opinion, the student blamed for it all is innocent. I think someone else had opened it, and framed him. But there was never any proof, and the attacks did stop once he was forced to leave the grounds," Dumbledore explained the story to them.

"So does that mean that the hair as actually returned?" Zavy asked with wonder. She was herself, a half blood, and now a known target.

"Possibly. I cannot be for sure. But if these attacks continue, I will be foreced to close the school. Parents are outraged, and may not let some of their children come back after the holidays."

"Who killed our parents? It wasn't You Know Who, even though I don't know who that guy is supposed to be. But the timing doesn't fit. If Harry defeated the wizard when we were three, and we lost our parents at age seven, who killed them?" Zavy wanted to know so badly.

Dumbledore smiled sadly, "I'm sorry Zahava. It is not yet time to reveal that to you."

Zavy sighed and looked at her lap. She wasn't disappointed, that was the answer she was expecting. She wanted to know who had done it, and why. What did it matter if non wizards lived among them? They were all human, there was no need to discriminate their own kind. So what if they had no magic?. A pure blooded squib would live, but a muggle couldn't? That made no sense at all to her.

"Don't worry yourself over it Zavy. Because of their sacrifice, and many others, we are all able to live freely. You should be proud of them, and everyone for all that's happened. Of course, exclude recent events..." Dumbledore told her.

"I am proud, I just want some closure on it. I want to know more about it, but you said you'd tell me eventually, so I guess I can still be patient for a while longer."

Zavy came out of her memory and back to her bed. She had written to Fred and George, telling them the information she had recieved, and telling them to hurry up and get back already. She had not recieved a letter back from them yet, but she was sure that they wouldn't forget about her... right? She sighed. Her only friend she had left behind in Canada, and had no way of contacting her or anything. She had been pretty much alone until she had come to Hogwarts. She never realized how much she depended on Fred or George being at the Gryffindor table when she went for food, or expeting them to burst in on her while she sat by the fire, doing work or reading a book. Though she was annoyed by it, she'd rather have it then be bored and have nothing exciting going on. Thinking of food, maybe it was time to have a snack.

She walked down the corridors to the Hall. As she was nearing the Hall, she spotted Draco Malfoy, just a few feet in front of her. He stared at her, never actually getting a proper look. Zavy felt something not right about him, and stared at him right back. She was very tempted to go nosing about in his mind, but she knew that until she mastered it a little better, it was best to keep her mind with her. She decided that he was boring and moved on, putting a shield to her back, just incase. She sat alone at the end of Gryffindor table, seeing as Brenden was somewhere that wasn't where she was. She sighed for the umpteenth time that day. This holiday was really rather annoying.

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

Zavy opened her eyes and then rolled them. This stupid dream was getting annoying. Everything around her was getting annoying. It was all just the same routine everyday, and it would be like that until term resumed. A thought then just dawned on her. It was Christmas today, so maybe things would be a little better. She smiled to herself and got out of bed, doing her morning ritual.

"This years been busy for us eh Z?" Brenden inquired at her. They had agreed to open thier presents together in the Hall. Lot's of students gave them wierd looks, but neither of them cared.

"No kidding. Now I finally think I understand why it can get so stressful for adults," she laughed, opening her present from Fred and George. They gave her a set of pranking units, with a cart warning her that they better be hearing the cries of laughter from their home at the Burrow. They had invited her and Brenden to go, but they politely refused, having no intention of taking their hospitality after knowing them for such a short time. Besides, it wasn't often that they got to spend Christmas with their god father.

"Look at this," Brenden said with wonder. It was a silver necklace with a silver pendant on it. Engraved onto the pendant was a tree, so very lifelike. Zavy looked at it with awe. "You've most likely got one to," he said, pointing to her last present that was from her god father, very similar to Brenden's. Zavy opened it and saw the same silver necklace and pendant, only instead of a tree, there was a wolf on hers. It looked to real that she thought it would jump out already and possibly have her for dinner.

"There's a note," she said, fastening the necklace one. "Keep these on no matter what, and keep them against your skin. They will help you control, channel, and enhance your powers, with love, your god father," Zavy read aloud, assuming it said the same on Brendens. They looked at each other, with that look that they usually shared, conversing in their minds, but not really saying anything in each others head. They both looked at their god father, who sat at the teachers table in the middle, talking to McGonagall. Zavy pondered for a moment what this all could mean, but gave up looking for reasons and ate some breakfast.

The day progressed as it always did, with absolutely nothign to do. Zavy sat in her common room, reading a book Hermione had given her for Christmas about dragons. She was very into the book and was happy that she had been so thoughtful. The girl really did try hard when it came to her friends, Zavy had to give her that. If she could just learn how to tone throwing things in ones face down, she'd be more bearable to be around. Zavy in turn had gotten her a book as well, about the effects of reading to much. Hermione was a good sport and laughed at the joke, but for all Zavy knew, she didn't bother to open it.

"Zavy! Come quick! We need you!" said two voices bursting into the common room. Zavy awoke, not even realizing she had dozed off. It was Harry and Ron, wearing really oversized clothes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's Hermione, she's had an accident with the potion. It's hard to explain, you should just come with us," Harry said.

"It's actually quite funny, but please don't tell her I said that," said Ron, turning to bring Zavy to Murtle's bathroom.

Zavy walked into the bathroom and knocked on the only occupied stall. She heard a wail and saw Murtle coming out of the toilet and floating right in front of her.

"Wait 'till you see," she said in that taunting voice of hers.

"Go haunt someone who will actually pay attention to you," Zavy retorted, not amused. "And Hermione, open this door right now! You don't send two boys in huge robes to find me, only to tell me to go away. You have three seconds, or I'll burst it down!"

Zavy heard the door click between Hermione's sobs, as the door to the stall slowly opened. "It turns out that, I had grabbed a cat hair, and not a human," she cried, revealing herself to be a very tall cat. Her face and most likely body was covered in fur, and Zavy saw a tail from behind her. She embraced the poor girl, thinking of what she could do to help her.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry Hermione, but this is beyond me. I'm afraid you'll have to go to the hospital wing for this one. I've only made potions to cure scars and burns, never anything like this. Although, if it makes you feel any better, I've now been inspired to study more of the healing arts?" she offered with a small smile and poor attempt at humor. Hermione cried more as Harry put the invisibility cloak around her and helped Zavy take her to madam Pomphrey.

Zavy refused to leave until she knew what it was she was doing for Hermione. At first, the medi-witch was annoyed, but after seeing the passion and concern in her eyes, agreed to help her learn. Zavy had even further managed to talk her into a couple of lessons a week. Nothing major, just something to pass the time and help her learn the things she wanted to know and needed to know.

As she walked back to her common room, she felt like it was a day well accomplished. The dreaded holidays would soon be over, she would learn to become a healer, how to turn herself into any creature she wanted and best of all, her friends would be back to amuse her. She didn't see how anything could go downhill from there, but she knew thinking like that would only make everything go on a one-way crash course. She smiled at her own humor. _I crack myself up. _She picked up her book from where she left it, and went to bed, taking a dreamless sleeping potion, so she could start off the day with a smile and not the gumpiness of a dream.

* * *

feedback?


	11. Chapter 11

What a year this was turning out to be. Her first year at Hogwarts, and people were being attacked by a monster. Just yesterday, a Hufflepuff named Justin Finch-Flethly, and the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick had become the latest victims. As a result, they were to be in their commons by six in the evening every night, and accompanied wherever they went, no exceptions. Zavy was terribly upset about this. Thankfully, there have been no casualties, but why would someone bother attacking students? Everyone in the castle was spooked, and couldn't stop wondering who it was that was causing all of this. Not to mention everyone was worried that if someone didn't fess up, the school would be closed, and they would all be sent home.

Zavy sat with Fred and George in their usual spot. They sat in silence, thinking about the recent events leading up to all of this. It was unusual for any of them to be so quiet, it was as if all the life had been sucked out of them. Zavy looked over at Ginny. Over the last few weeks, she had been observing the first year with curious eyes. She always seemed a bit jumpy, and would sometimes where a haunted expression, like she had done something really horrible. Zavy questioned her once, but didn't get a response. She didn't pry anymore either, for she to was being very secretive about the details of her orgins, she was just worried about Ginny.

"I'll be back down in a few minutes," she said softly, looking at the twins. They both nodded, staring vacant eyed into the fire. George put his feet up to mark that she would be returning, and that no one would be taking her spot. She smiled slightly, _Such a thoughtful boy. _The stress was really starting to get to her. She had smoked all the cigarettes she brought with her to the school. It was a stressful two days without, and she had regretfully taken it out on her friends and family. One day she couldn't stand it anymore and wished for a cigarette so bad that it just appeared out of nowhere into her hand. Since then, she had been creating them as she needed, probably smoked almost half a pack a day. She thought about her smoke, held out her hand, and released her thought. It appeared in her hand and she apparated to her spot at the treeline of the Foribidden Forest. It was still daylight, and they were confined to their commons for the rest of it, such a waste.

She leaned back on a boulder and took her drags faster than normal. She had nearly been caught yesterday apparating back into her dorm. Katie was up there, getting ready for an early bedtime when she had popped in. Luckily, her back was turned so she didn't notice, but was startled when she turned around and saw Zavy standing there. She sighed. The smoke was not helping her relax. She reached into her pocket and took out the half a joint she had in there. She took maybe four puffs of it before putting it out and preparing to apparate back to her dorm. Her god father had been telling her and her brother about how they could use their minds to see in a place before they entered it. She had never tried it from this far before, but decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. If she could apparate the distance, there seemed to be no reason she couldn't have a look first. She closed her eyes in concentration, and wished her thought up to the castle, thru the window to her dorm. She saw no one, so she apparating back beside her bed. She washed her hands, brushed her teeth and made preparations for bed before going back downstairs. Might as well be confined in comfort.

"Took you long enough, we thought the monster might've gotten you," Fred teased as George moved his legs for her to sit between the two of them.

"Hardy har har," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oi, what's that I saw?" George asked, staring at her mouth.

"Who in the what now?" she looked at him confused.

"That thing I saw, on your tongue," Fred supplied, curious as well.

"Oh this," Zavy stuck out her tongue so they could get a look at it. "It's just my tongue ring. I got it for my birthday that passed," she explained, sticking her tongue out again and moving the piercing so they could see.

"Wicked. Can I touch it?" George asked, facinated by it. He had never heard of someone putting a hole in their tongue before. She nodded, letting him mimick what she had just done.

"How many extra holes do you have in your body anyway?" Fred asked, as he did the same as George.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said, smiling slyly and winking at him.

"Sorry I asked," said Fred quietly.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing," he lied.

"I don't think I heard you say nothing, I think I heard you attempting to insult me. To bad your lonely little brain cell decided to take a personal day," she said, as if bored by his antics. The weed had made her a bit playful, and it seemed like they could use a bit of fun themselves.

"Oi, at least I've got a brain cell in my head. Unlike you who's full of air from all of this arrogance. Maybe I should turn you in as the heir of Slytherin."

She gasped, "How did you know!?" she asked in fake alarm, laughing at herself. Everything was just so funny, she loved feeling this way. Yay for weed. It was so contageous that they had no choice but to laugh themselves. She was happy to see them smile again, downer twins just didn't sit well with her.

The Hall was packed with students for breakfast. Seeing as how everyone was to be accompanied at all times, there was no late dwellers or early risers, just rush hour. The morning post came in as it always did and Zavy wasn't surprised to find a letter for her. Since the Christmas break she had been recieving mail on when she was to attend her lessons with Brenden on shape shifting. She had mastered a mouse, a cat and a snowy owl. She was know working on what she would probably make her favourite form, the wolf. It was no easy task to change into an animal. Every detail was to be observed, and missing something in the very slightest affected you horribly with either walking, or hearing. For instance, if she remembered a toenail, she forgot a whisker, if her muzzle was too long, her tail was to short, and so on. Luckily, she had always remembered to put her vital organs in, and there were no bad accidents. She could tell her head of house was impressed with the progess they were making.

"What's that you got there?" Fred asked. Nothing got by him.

"Mail from McGonagall," she replied, reading its contents. Wednesday, 3:00, was all it said. She made a mental note of it and put it in her pocket.

"You seem to get a lot of that lately," said George, sounding mildly curious.

"She's doing something extra with me, since I'm a bit more advanced than the two of you," she told them matter of factly before taking a bite into her muffin.

"Right. Just cause you can brew a decent potion and porform spells rarely saying a word, doesn't make you advanced. It makes you a nerd," Fred shot back at her.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself to help you sleep at night dear," she said sweetly, smiling a mocking smile at him.

Zavy was out smoking a puff or two before she planned on making her way to the Quidditch pitch. Today promised to be fun, except this nagging feeling she had every since she woke up. It had nothing to do with the dream she had always had, it was different, like something horrible was about to happen. She sensed something completely wrong with today, so she got stoned in hopes that it would leave her alone.

As she was making her way towards the pitch, hoping she was late, she was surprised to see everyone leaving. Was the match over that quickly? She saw Fred and George and made her way over them, curious as to what was going on.

"What happened?" she said as she fell in step with them

"Match was cancelled," George answered.

"Cancelled? But why?"

"Not sure yet love, but I have a feeling it was another attack," Fred mused as they entered the castle and made thier way back to the commons.

"Zavy!" Brenden bellowed, running up to her once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Brenden, what's wrong?" she asked, alarmed at the look on his face.

"It's Hermione. She's... she's been petrified..." he told her, his voice filled with sorrow. Zavy gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "But there's more, let's go somewhere secluded so I can tell you. Too many people around here and I want to keep it quiet."

"But where?" she asked.

"The prefects bathroom maybe?" Fred suggested, curious as to what Brenden had to say.

"How are we supposed to get in there?

"Have you forgotten already who your best mates are?" George asked, offended that she would dare ask such a silly question.

"Leave it to us," they said at once, and led the way to the bathrooms. They took a secret passage up to an empty classroom, careful not to be seen. Zavy and Brenden did not tell the twins that they had mentally conjured an invisibility spell over them, but thought it would be more fun to see them on full alert in action. She had to admit, they were good. Once they had entered the classroom, Zavy and Brenden dropped the spell and walked over to where Fred and George stood in front of the chalkboard. George took out his wand and tapped an odd coloured brick beside it under a chart and the chalk board slid into the ceiling. They stepped into the prefects bathroom and looked around to make sure they were alone. Zavy was rather put out at the fact that they had such a nice lavatory and she had to deal with all the other ghastly ones.

"Alright, what is this information you have?" Fred asked, sitting on the edge of the tub under the stained glass picture of a mermaid. Zavy and George turned thier attention to Brenden.

"Well, I was in the library with her, looking up feared monsters of this world. She came across a basilisk and showed it to me. Something clicked in my mind, and I knew that this was the monster attacking the students. It says that it's a huge, deadly, and poisonous snake, and if you look directly into its eyes, you die," he started his story.

"Well then, why is everyone petrified?" George asked.

"Hang on. We asked the same question, but soon figured it out. The cat, Mrs. Norbis or whatever saw a reflection of the beast in the water on the ground. The Gryffindor kid saw it thru the lens of his camera, Nearly Headless Nick is a ghost, therefore, he can't die again, and the Hufflepuff kid must've seen the beast thru the body of poor Nick. Once we had figured that out, I conjured a mirror for her to use, since she is muggleborn. The only question left was how it was going thru the school unnoticed. She was quick to figure that out and thought of pipes. Apparently, Harry's been hearing a strange voice lately, and Hermione only assumed it was in the walls, since her and Ron had been there when he claimed to hear it. The basilisk idea also made sense since he turned out to be Parasal mouth or whatever the proper term is. She figured out that it had being going thru the pipes to creep and attack. She then left to go watch the match so she could tell the boys all that we had figured out, and I stayed a bit longer to think on where a huge serpent could be hiding. I gave up maybe fifteen minutes later and that's when I found her. She was holding the mirror up, so I knew she wasn't dead..."

Zavy, Fred and George sat there a moment, processing everything he had just told them. All this information was quite a shock to all of them, and Zavy had no idea how to handle all of it. Her very first thought was, _smoke, _but she resisted the urge to create and light one on the spot in front of Fred and George.

"So... so what do we do now?" she asked, trying to calm herself down. Was there anything they could do?

"There's nothing we can do Z. We just have to wait until the mandrakes are ready and the heir is found," Breden replied softly. Zavy was about to lose all control if she didn't get out of the bathroom soon. She walked as calmly as she could out of the bathroom, leaving them without a word. Once she was in the classroom, she apparated to the tree line, created a nice sized joint and lit it, taking a much needed deep toke of it.

"Fancy the company love?" Oliver said, walking over to her. She didn't say anything, but took another puff.

"You smoke weed?" she asked, noticing him staring at her.

"Sure do," he replied, taking the joint from her and inhaling deeply as well. "Did you hear? It was Granger that got attacked this time, that's why our match was cancelled." Zavy nodded at him, but offered nothing else to the conversation. She didn't feel much like talking, only relaxing as best as she could. It was night time, and she was happy for that. She would take a dreamless sleeping potion and go to sleep as soon as she got back.

"Too bad we couldn't have our date," he said to her, truly disappointed.

"I guess, but Oliver..."

"No worries love, there's too many things going on. But I think I'm about ready to head back now, it's getting late."

"Go on without me, I'm going to hang out here a bit longer."

"I don't think-"

"Just go, I can handle myself," she assured him with a winning smile. He nodded once, leaving her alone in the darkness. She was smoking another smoke and thinking about Hermione. The poor girl, at least she had been prepared, things could've been much more worse if she wasn't. She flicked her smoke and started to concentrate on apparating back.

-Zahava, come to my office now- her god father's voice sounded in her head. She jumped a bit, startled at what just happened. It must be important, he had never directly contacted her that way before. She sent her thought to her god father's office, making sure that he was the only one there. When she spotted just him and Brenden, she apparated directly there, beside Brenden.

"What's going on?" they both asked once she had arrived.

"Lucious Malfoy has no doubt threatened the governers to sign for my immediate dismissal it seems. I must leave the school tonight, until they feel it is time for my return," he calmly explained to them.

"What? But how will we defend ourselves without you here? It's very known that your the most powerful one here, all the kids here need you!" Zavy cried, shocked that educated people would make such a stupid desicion.

"It's a basilisk attacking the muggle borns. It's moving thru the pipes," Brenden told him.

"A basilisk you say? How typical of Salazar to use such a creature. However, since the chamber cannot be found, there is nothing I or any of you can do. Now listen to me, I don't want you to go meddling in this affair. The point is to keep you and your particular talents a secret from those who wish to harm you. The wizarding world is not yet ready to discover that you two are still alive, understood?"

They both nodded at him. When they had left Canada, Dumbledore burned down their house, making it look like it had been an abandoned pile of rubble for years. The plan in mind had worked, every witch or wizard had thought they had died long ago. An oath of screcy was placed upon all staff members in order to keep that rumor alive. Everytime one of them would talk about them being different, thier tongues would freeze up, and the words would not form in thier mouths.

"Perhaps it is time that you two went to bed. Professor Flitwick will escort you back to Ravenclaw Brenden, and seeing as Professor McGonagall is busy at the moment, Professor Snape has offered to escort you to Gryffindor tower, Zahava. Good night children, and please, for all of our sakes, stay out of trouble," he told them as a farewell.

Zavy and Brenden walked downstairs out of his office. Brenden put a hand on her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze, before he walked off with his head of house back to his common room. Zavy walked with Snape to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She assumed he was being nice in this dire time because he did not make one snide comment at her as they walked. She stopped in front of the entrance, just standing for a moment.

"Miss DelCotta?" he inquired, annoyed that she wasn't doing anything.

"What will happen with Dumbledore gone now?" she asked.

"If that was something I happened to know, I most certainly wouldn't share that information with you, now get going," he told her, walking away. Zavy climbed into the common room, looking at the fireplace that was barely glowing. She noticed George sitting on the couch, asleep in a sitting up position. She walked over to him and gave him a little nudge.

"George?" she said, waking him up. He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on her.

"I was worried about you. You just left without saying anything, and disappeared so quickly. Then you never came back here, so Fred and I went looking for you, but got caught because we were careless," he explained, standing in front of her. He noticed that her eyes had no colour to them, which only made him worry more. "What's wrong?"

"Dumbledore... he's been asked to leave the castle... tonight..." she told him in a barely audible voice.

"But that's mad. Who would think it was a good idea to take him away from us?" George asked, outraged at the very idea.

"Lucious Malfoy conviced the governers to sign for it. He's leaving as we speak..."

"Figures a prick like that would've done it," George thought out loud. He noticed the shaken look, and pulled her into a hug. Zavy coulnd't hold it in any longer. She began to sob uncontrollably into his chest, soaking his T-shirt. He held her small frame a bit tighter, trying to support her. He had never seen her like this before, and realized that she was so fragile. Her sobbing subsided somewhat and George loosened his grip to get another look at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered at him.

"It's okay, I can tell you're really stressing out about this. Fred and I won't let anything happen to you, and neither will your brother. We will not be defeated!" he said, trying to brighten up the mood. She looked like she were about to smile, but then her face wrinkled and her mouth opened. She took two small breaths and then, she sneezed, getting snot all over his shirt.

"You just got boogers all over me!" he said, holding his arms out, shocked. She looked at the sight before her and started to giggle. George looked up at her sharply, but then began to laugh himself.

"I'm sorry," she said, gaining a bit more control of herself.

"S'all right, so long as you don't tell anyone you got away with it. I do have a reputation to protect," he told her with a winning grin.

"As do I. Not a word of the waterworks. Deal?"

"Deal."


	12. Chapter 12

The days seemed dark and long. Fear was in the hearts of both student and teacher with the Headmaster gone. There was the usual gossip between students, but it didn't seem to be targeted at anyone besides Draco Malfoy, his father being the one responsible for leaving them all practically defenseless. Luckily, there hadn't been an attack in weeks, but the fear of it was growing stronger. The little freedom that they had left was gone, making the mood even worse since they were constantly stuck with each other. There was no more Quidditch, no trips to Hogsmeade, and no one was even allowed to leave the castle at any time for any reason.

Fred, George and Zavy sat at their usual spot in the common room. In the weeks that Dumbledore had left the castle, her anxiety levels had risen to her all time high, and she found herself stoned more often than not. It was the only thing she could think of to help her cope with the stress. The only good thing going on right now, was that everyone had only been petrified, but Zavy feared that next attack would result in death, and everyone would be sent home. Her and Brenden would be going back to the Leaky Cauldron, and the twins back to the Burrow. She looked at them both, sitting there with bored expressions. She went upstairs without saying a word and walked up to her dorm. Since they were all confined, she had to apparate to and from the bathroom to go for her smokes.

She apparated to her spot near the treeline of the Forbidden Forest, behind the giant boulder. The weather was starting to get warmer, which meant that the mandrakes would soon be ready to be made a cure of. Zavy was over seeing that process, and planned on being there for every step, to further improve her knowledge. She had started talking to Professor Sprout about all the different kinds of plants, for healing and the poisonous ones, and how they had healing properties as well. With Madam Pomphrey's knowledge of anatomy and the healing arts, and Zavy's excellent potion brewing skills, she seemed born for this. Both women were impressed at how much she took in from them, and were prepared to help her every step of the way. But her talents weren't as great as believed, there was an uneasy feeling drifting in her.

"Can't you feel it Z?" Brenden asked her while they were in the library.

"Feel it? I practically breathe it," she told him in a hushed voice.

"And the worst part is, I don't think there's anything we'll be able to do to help whatever is coming our way."

"I know, we aren't strong enough yet."

She opened her eyes, taking herself out of the memory. That conversation had taken place only three days ago, when the feeling of dread first started. She knew that something was going to happen today, but could not tell what. She sighed, exhaling her last puff of her joint and then lit a smoke. Thankfully, the twins had never questioned her diappearances, even as they became more frequent. She didn't want them to know about her bad habits, especially as they seemed to get worse. She flicked her smoke away, looking at the buts everywhere on the ground. She vanished them, deciding that if they did need to go home soon, there would be no need for Hagrid to find them. She apparated back to the bathroom, feeling better because she was stoned. She walked back downstairs and plopped on the couch, her head on George's lap, and her feet on Fred's.

"Oi, some of us have external genetalia," Fred reminded her.

"Oh my, you're right, how silly of me to forget something of great importance. Sorry George," she replied, smiling innocenlty at Fred.

"No respect," said Fred, tickling her foot. She flinched away.

"Don't touch my feet, unless you want to get kicked in the head," she warned him dangerously. Fred grinned evilly, and latched on to her ankles, holding her in place.

"Hold her down Forge," he instructed George, as he tried to hold her in place. George bear hugged her, having a bit of a difficult time while Fred tickled her feet and she flailed as much as she could, laughing uncontrollably. Fred showed no mercy, and no sign of letting go. Zavy's face and stomach hurt from laughing... until she fell to the floor with a bit THUD. She sat up and looked at them, about to ask why they just dropped her like that, but the look on their faces told her that such was not the case.

"What?" she asked them, wondering herself what just happened.

"You... you just did something very ghost like..." George told her, awestruck.

"Ghost like?"

"Yeah, we were holding on to you, and then you just... fell thru us... like a ghost," Fred explained better.

"You mean I just phased thru you two?"

"Yeah," they both said.

"Cool, never knew I could do that," she replied, sitting between them again. They fell silent again, back into their bored reverie. The common room was often crowded, so it was never quiet, it was just so dreafully boring.

"Alright, that's it. I'm sick of sitting here, we're going to Hogsmeade," Fred declared, standing up to emphasize his point. Zavy and George looked at him incredulously for a few moments. They looked at each other and shrugged, getting up to follow Fred. Zavy thought it was funny when Fred and George went into stealth mode, unaware of the charms she put over them to keep out of sight. It kept them in practice, and helped her improve her defences as well, so she never bothered to tell them.

They walked into the Hog's Head, decided that the Three Broomsticks would be too conspicuous for three Hogwart's students. They picked a table near the corner, away from everyone and sat down. Zavy walked up to get their drinks, startled at the bar man. He had eyes just like her god fathers, the same blue colour. Though she knew it was not him, she still felt a pang towards him, wherever he was. She went back to their table, and they cheersed to a good time.

They drank for hours, drinking, laughing, laughing and drinking. Inebreation was a good thing at times like these. Zavy didn't have a care in the world, and she liked the feeling of being stress free. They decided to leave before Honeydukes closed. Walking into the castle thru the front door was probably not a good idea. Once they had emerged from the one eyed witch, they weren't staggering as much as before, and started walking back to Gryfiindor tower, when they heard McGonagall's voice.

"All students report to their common rooms immediately. All teacher proceed to the second floor at once."

The three of them shared a look, then back tracked a bit to gather where the teachers were. There was an urgency in her voice that suggested there was another attack, and they wanted the details of it all before the story got embellished by rumor mill. They stopped when they saw Snape and stayed a safe distance away.

"-safe. I'm afraid we'll have to send the students home," McGonagall was explaining.

"Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" Lockhart announced his arrival, looking at them all.

"Actually this is excellent timing, I think perhaps we should leave this to you," Snape said in a slightly amused voice.

"I beg your pardon?"

"A student has been taken by the beast inside the chamber itself. Weren't you telling me yesterday that you knew where the chamber was all along and it was just a matter of the right moment before going down there? I think. that moment. has arrived."

"Uh, yes, yes of course. Excellent Severous. If you'll excuse me, I'll be going back to my office to um.. get ready," Lockhart told them, turning to leave.

"Minerva, who was taken?" Madam Pomphrey asked.

"Ginny Weasley," she replied gravely. Once she uttered that name, Zavy immediately put a silence of Fred and George, and binded them so they wouldn't give away their position. The teachers vacated the area and Zavy stood there, stunned for a minute, processing what was said. Thankfully, she was able to get that done before the twins reacted, but couldn't imagine how they were feeling. Moments later, they saw Harry and Ron off in the direction of Lockhart's office. Something clicked in Zavy's head. She turned to her friends that were giving her and evil eye for putting the spells on them like this. She released them, but kept on guard... just incase.

"Let's go!" Fred shouted, starting to walk towards Lockhart's office.

"No," said Zavy sternly, "let Harry and Ron handle this. We need to get out of here."

"To hell with that, my sister is down there!"

"I know. But this isn't your fight, it's theirs. We need to go back to the commons, and wait until they come back."

"No! We need to follow them and help them get my sister back!" George yelled at her. She didn't react as she normally would've, only because of the circumstances. She was a bit frightened however, seeing as they had never been angry like this before.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you. Now let's go back to the tower and wait for them to get back."

"YOU can go, I'm going after my brother and sister!" Fred snapped, walking past her. Zavy sighed and stopped him.

"I'm sorry Fred, but I need you to trust me. This needs to happen, please, don't interfere," she told him. She wanted to make them both undertsand that she knew they weren't supposed to go. She did not know how she knew, but she did, and convincing them to leave it as it was is the only thing she could do. She looked into both of their angry eyes. They stared back at hers, that turned a a greyish blue. They were worried eyes, pleading.

George put a hand on Fred's shoulder, "We should go back. Their probably already in the chamber, and we wouldn't know where to go." Zavy was relieved that George's rational mind was functioning. Zavy took the bind off Fred, and he nodded, stomping grumpily back to the common room. They sat in their usual spot in front of the fire, not one of them saying a word. Anxiety getting the better of her, Zavy went upstairs and apparated to her smoking spot. She lit up her joint and smoked more of it than she usually would, feeling the relaxing sensation it gave her. She then lit a cigarette, finished that quickly, and had another, smoking the second one slower. She was halfway thru it when the pendant around her neck begane to itch and burn. She flicked her smoke away and held the thing in her hand.

-ZAVY!- Brenden's voice sounded in her head.

-Brenden?-

-Where have you been?-

-I'm outside right now-

-Get to our god father's office right away-

She focused her mind and apparated into Dumbledore's office beside Brenden. He was standing in front of Fawkes, just staring at the bird.

"What's up?" she asked him, confused as to what was so urgent that she get there quickly.

"We need to figure out how to help Harry and Ron. Harry, though capable will need still need outside help, and Ron's wand is just useless. We need to find a way to send them help," he explained, never taking his eyes off Fawkes. Zavy sighed, deciding that starting at Fawkes wasn't very producting. She saw the sorting had on the shelf and looked at the raggety old thing. Something shiny caught her eye. She looked in its direction and spotted what looked like a hilt. She grabbed it off the shelf and her eyes widened. In her hands, she held the sword of Godric Gryffindor. She knew that this would stand a chance against Slytherin's beast. She turned to Brenden who was still staring at Fawkes.

"Brenden, look," she said, showing him the relic.

"Fawkes won't be able to carry that to where ever they are. We have to find a way to make it manageble for him," Brenden mused, turning his attention to her.

"I don't know, do you have any ideas?"

"We could shrink it?"

"But if Harry doesn't have his wand, how will he bring it back to normal size?"

"Alright. I'd say we could transloacate it, but we don't know where he is at all."

"I know, and we can't even use our minds to track him without knowing the location."

"The problem lies in the fact that it's to heavy."

"Might I be of some help?" said a new voice. Zavy whipped around to it's source and looked around. She saw that the sorting hat had come alive. "I have a suggestion if you care to listen?"

"Okay..." they both said, not really sure on what was going on.

"You can put the sword inside me, and I'll take away it's weight, making it possible for the phoenix to carry to where it's needed," the hat told them. It took them a moment to process that the had was talking to them while neither of them were wearing it. "Time is of the essance!" it bellowed, making them jump. They nodded at each other, and put thier plan into action. Zavy picked up the hat and carefully placed Godric's sword into it, hoping it wouldn't just poke thru. Then she brought the hat over to Fawkes.

"Please, take this to Harry. He needs our help," she pleaded with the bird, extending the old had. Fawkes grabbed the hat with his talon and flew off out of the office. Zavy and Brenden stood there a moment after he had disappeared.

"I hope this works," said Brenden softly, before apparating out of there, most likely back to his dorm. Zavy followed suit.

Harry, Ron and Ginny returned to the common room sometime early in the morning. Fred and George were asleep on the couch, and Zavy dozed in the chair near them, a book on her chest. She awoke when she felt their presence, looked at Ginny and a wave of relief swept over her. Ginny looked worn out, as they all did, but they sat down anyway.

"I'm glad to see your safe," Zavy said in a quiet voice, so as not to wake Fred or George. She looked at Harry, who held the sword and hat in one hand, and a destroyed book in the other. She smiled, their plan had worked after all. The three of them were exhausted, as the first rays of light began to peek up thru the horizon. "Care to share your heroic tale?"

Harry began to explain everything that happened to her. How they had gone to Lockhart with information, but he was planning on leaving, how they had found the chamber, how Lockhart had finally revealed himself to be a fake, how his own spell backfired on him with Ron's wand, how Harry found Ginny, how the diary was actually Tom Riddle/Voldemort, how Fawkes had arrived in time, how Harry had defeated the basilisk, and how they had come out from the chamber.

Zavy listened to thier tale, truly amazed at the boy sitting in front of her. He was destined for greatness, that was something anyone, magic or no magic could feel it. Fred and George started to stir, rising from their slumber, probably at the voices.

"Awake yet? They got ya good eh?" Ginny said to them. They focused her eyes on her for a moment, then looked fully alert, realizing she was actually there.

"You brat! Why didn't you wake us?" George accused, relieved that she was okay.

"Were not going to go easy on you anymore," Fred told her, sounding more like himself. Ginny just smiled tiredly, and trudged back to her dorm for a much needed rest.

"Ginny, wait," Zavy called after her. She handed her a sleeping potion, figuring it would help. Ginny smiled in thanks and walked away from them.

Zavy awoke with a start, but this time, it wasn't from her dream. It was a familiar and warm voice in her head.

-Zahava-

-God father?-

-Perhaps it is time for you to send Harry up to my office please-

-Of course-

Zavy put a sweater on, and walked downstairs to where Harry was still sitting in front of the fire. It was three hours ago that she had gone up to bed, and she was exhausted, but she could never say no to her god father.

"Harry," she said.

"Yes?" he acknowledged.

"Don't you think it's time you went and saw Dumbledore?" she hinted at him.

"Is he back yet?"

"I believe so. Go on now," she urged, sitting beside him and giving him a nudge. Wordlessly, he got to and left her where she sat. Zavy relaxed on the couch, too lazy to go upstairs. _Fuck it _she decided, letting sleep overcome her once again.

* * *

feedback?


	13. Chapter 13

The last few days of school had arrived. The weather was warm, making it evident that summer would be nice. Students were allowed outside and the last Quidditch match had happened. Since they had to make up for lost time, there was a lot of excitement buzzing around, little time for pratice, and a three day Quidditch tournament. There was a last trip to Hogsmeade before school was over, all exams were cancelled (much to Hermione's dismay), so students took much needed vacations away from the castle.

Fred, George and Zavy sat by a tree near the lake, enjoying the warm air. Everything seemed to be getting back to normal, well, as normal as a wizarding school could be. Since the stress was leaving, Zavy's smoking habit was disappearing as well, and she stopped smoking as much as before. She kept getting high, though, not as frequently as before.

"George, next year is going to be brilliant. We have all summer to work on new products, and we can start selling them," Fred mused, leaning back against the tree.

"You said it Fred. Might as well get an early start while we can," George replied, staring off into the water.

"An early start at what?" Zavy asked, sitting up from the grass to look at them, her stylish hat slanted to one side.

"Our shop of course," answered Fred, looking at her as if it were obvious.

"Shop? You lot don't have a shop."

"Not yet, but we will. Mum won't like it, but that's too bad."

"Yeah, it's what we were made for. Hopefully we'll have enough that we won't have to finish here at Hogwarts," said George.

"You'll leave the school?" she inquired.

"Once we've made enough of course. And we could learn a few more things, give it a year or two, and we should be good enough on our own after that."

"Yeah you prat, we may slack off, but we do get good marks," Fred put in, attempting to kick her.

"Well geeze, if I had known you were going to leave, maybe I just wouldn't have bothered," she teased, looking away, hmphing.

"Should've told you that earlier then. Would've had a much better year, eh Forge?"

"Indeed Gred, how could we miss that?" said George, smiling at her. Zavy couldn't help but laugh at them. She sighed, laying back down on the grass. She stared at the sky, watching as her subconous formed shapes in the clouds.

"What will you guys be doing all summer besides blowing each other up?" she asked, slightly depressed that she would be separated from them for so long. They wouldn't even be around for her birthday, though she was sure they'd send her gifts.

"Who know's? Backyard Quidditch, experiments, random trips into the muggle village, wreaking havoc," Fred listed the possibilites.

"Of course, you'll be coming to stay with us for a bit," George said, not even asking her.

"No, I cou-" she was cut off.

"Enough. We've been friends since day one. We understand Christmas holidays, but there's no excuse now. You're coming and that's that. I'll drag me mum into this if I have to, and you surely won't say no to her, will you?" Fred threatened her.

"I can't believe you just threatened me with your mom," she laughed, but agreed she would indeed go over for a day or two during the summer.

"Then it's settled. Now, who would like have a bit of fun before this year ends?" asked George, a wicked grin on his face.

They had arrived at King's Cross station in London. The train ride home seemed so short, and Zavy was truly sad that it had come to a stop. She got up out of the compartment and gathered her things, waiting in line to get off the train. She saw Brenden one car over once she had reached the ground. Off in the distance a bit, she saw their god father, patiently waiting for them. She moved a bit, to let the other students get off the train.

"We'll owl you when to come down," Geoge told her, hugging her.

"You better have some bright ideas," said Fred, giving her a farewell hug as well. She laughed and then watched as her friends walked to where their red headed family gathered. She smiled at them, and the walked over to her family.

"The Weasley's are good people. I'm glad to see that you've chosen to associate yourself with them," Dumbledore told her, smiling at them both. "I won't lie, I have a bit of a surprise for you," he told them, a hint of excitement in his voice. He held out both of his arms to them. They understood at once, getting a firm grip on their trunks, and holding on to each arm. They apparated out of sight.

George looked over to where she once stood. He saw them walking towards he could swear Dumbledore, but couldn't be too sure. It had to have been someone though, because he could swear he saw them apparate. He did not want school to end for the sole reason that he would indeed miss her. Fred would to, but he suspected not as much as he himself would. Since he first saw her, he knew there was something special about her, and she had successfully avoided talking about where she came from and how it was that she did magic as well as she did. He was going to get that information out of her when she came to visit. He would make sure of it.

Dumbledore, Zavy and Brenden appeared in a decent sized flat above a shop in Diagon Alley. It was spacious, clean, furnished and bright inside. Zavy looked around, it had two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and a decent sized kitchen, as well as a balcony.

"Is this your home?" she asked, liking everything she saw.

"No my dear child. I have purchased this for you and your brother to live in. You can't expect to have company and not have a place for your friends to sleep, and you surely can't have tea in a room," he explained calmly

"You mean, this whole loft is ours?" Brenden asked in shock.

"The term is flat. If only there was something we could do about your accents, we wouldn't have to worry so much about others discovering you. I will admit, it's not as bad as when you first arrived nearly four years ago. But yes, this is a place for you two to call home. Now I'm terribly sorry, I have to run, but I do hope you enjoy yourselves. Keep in touch, I'll be expecting an invite for tea sometime soon," he told them before apparating away to who knows where.

"This... entire place... is ours," said Brenden, not believing what was going on.

"What do you think he meant by company?" asked Zavy, going into the room that was obviously decorated for her. He was such a dear old man. The walls were painted a nice red colour, making the mood at ease with her, the bed was huge, the biggest she had seen, with curtains to block out the light, the window was huge, with a nice glass door that accessed another balcony, and her walls covered in pictures of beautiful scenery, dragons and all sorts of things that she loved.

"I don't know Z, I'm still having trouble processing that this is all ours," said Brenden, going to check his room out. Zavy walked into the kitchen that came fully prepared. She walked up to the fridge and saw a note on it.

_Zahava, Brenden_

_Incase you were wondering, this is what I was doing on my time off._

_I do hope you enjoy it, it was not an easy place to find._

_Yes, Brenden, it IS all yours._

_Zahava, there is a shop below. I'm sure you will find a use for it, in time._

_Your loving god father,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

Zavy smiled at the note. She would have to thank him the next time she wrote to him or saw him. He did so much for them, he knew they were getting tired of living at the Leaky Cauldron. Not that it was a bad place, clean, friendly, warm, and Tom was very good to them. They were just feeling as if they needed more space. Teenagers were weird like that. She opened the fridge and noticed it was full of food. She sighed, and decided it might just be time to get a job. It would have to wait until after she would go and see the twins, they wanted to her stay for no less than a week.

On her part, all of this would be terribly akward. Luckily, Brenden was invited to, she she wouldn't feel too badly on it. She wanted to see the magical home of the Burrow, but was afraid of meeting the family. She had only ever made one friend before, and she was back in Canada. Zavy was sad to leave her, but had no choice. They used to contact each other through muggle mail, but stopped maybe a year or two ago. Since they had moved to England, Zavy had pretty much had no one besides her brother. With everyone away at school, sitting downstairs at the pub wasn't interesting, since there was no one around her age.

An idea had occured to her just then. She could talk to Tom the bar man about a summer job. She pretty much knew how everything worked around there, and knew he could use the help on the busy nights. She smiled, it was a plan then, she'd tell Brenden about it, get in touch with the twins, then talk to Tom about it when she knew all the details. Dismissing her plan of action, she opened the fridge that looked like to was going to burst with the amount of food in it, and began to prepare something for supper.

"Hello Tom," Zavy greeted, as her and Brenden entered the Leaky Cauldron. They took a quick look around and then sat down at the bar. Today, they were to meet the twins at the Leaky Cauldron, seeing as they were still elusive about where they would be living. Tom brought them a drink free of charge and went to tend to other customers. Zavy was etremely nervous about this. The drink helped calm her nerves and the joint she had earlier had eased them up as well, but she still felt akward about the situation. She knew the twins though, so she knew that any attempt to refuse, and they'd find her somehow and take her captive.

Her peripherals saw green and she turned to look in the direction of the fireplace. Fred and George emerged from them, dusting themselves off. They spotted Zavy and Brenden and walked over to them, standing as Tom brought them a drink on Zavy's request.

"Nervous?" Fred asked her amused.

"You wish," she replied. They sat around chatting for a bit before finishing their drinks, then, it was time to go. She watched as Fred and George disappeared in the dancing green flames, and Brenden followed suit. Now it was her turn. _Moment of truth. _She grabbed a bit of floo out of the pot and stepped into the fireplace.

"The Burrow!" she announced, spinning out of the Leaky Cauldron and arriving at the dwelling of the twins. She stepped out of the fireplace into a cosy living room, standing beside Brenden. She had the strange feeling of deja vu. She had been here before, long ago, but could not remember if it was maybe a dream or real.

"Are they here?" Zavy heard a voice call from the kitchen.

"Yes mum," George answered, brushing off her shoulders a bit. Molly Weasley emerged from the kitchen, a big smile on her face. She was a short, plump older woman, with the same red hair everyone in their family seemed to have. Zavy could tell that if you crossed her, you might never return.

"Pleased to meet you dears, my name is Molly Weasley. Fred and George have told me so much about you two," she greeted, extending a hand. They shook it in turn. "Now, how about a spot of lunch?" she didn't even wait for a reply, just went to busying herself in the kitchen. Zavy blinked twice and followed the other there, having a seat beside Brenden, across from Fred and George. Mrs. Wealsey brought them all sandwitches and pumpkin juice, then sat down beside her boys. "What did you say your names were?"

"He's Brenden and I'm Zahava. Zahava DelCotta," she said nervously. Molly nearly choked on her tea.

"Did you say DelCotta?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Y-yes," Zavy said, wondering what she said wrong. Molly's look of shock turned into one of relief, and she stared at them, like lost children that had been missing for weeks and finally came home to their mom.

"Oh..." she said, looking as if she were going to tear. She stood up, and walked over to them, pulling them both into a bone crushing hug. "I thought that... but the rumours... oh, it's so good to hear that you're both alive... and in my house... oh how you've grown..." she said. Zavy looked at Fred and George, who were looking at each other confused by this display of emotion. Molly released them both, and looked at them smiling. She then went to busy herself with something else, smiling once again at them. "Now if there's anything, anything at all you'll need, please, don't hesitate to ask," she told them. They both nodded, still in shock of what just happened. The twins were eyeing them suspicously.

George layed in bed, thinking. Why had their mum reacted the way she did? It was as if she'd met them before, but she did not say another word on the matter. He could tell there was something different about them, but couldn't figure it out. He did not believe that their wands were invisible to everyone but themselves, but there was no way to prove it. They didn't use flicking motions, nor did they even look like they were holding one, and every time they did a spell, he rarely heard them speak a word. If he did hear a word, it didn't sound like any spell he had heard, it would just be simple like, "move" or "rise", never anything magical. He devised a plan with Fred to get the information out of them, and it would be put into motion sometime soon, before they had to leave.

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

Zavy opened her eyes annoyed at the damnable dream. She looked around Fred and George's brother Charlie's room and saw that Brenden had vacated his cot. She stretched, deciding to use the time they thought she was sleeping to have a smoke. After conjuring a cigarette and a joint, she probed around the area with her mind to find the twins' dad, Arthur Weasley, in the shed, near her usual spot. She probed further, deciding she would go near the tree line of the forest off in the distance.

George made his way up the stairs to go and wake Zavy, Fred not to far behind him. Brenden warned them that she did not like to be woken up, and that it was in their best interest to leave her be, but they refused. The interrogation of Brenden was a complete failure. He ignored them completely when they asked him questions, and they were very sullen about that. They decided it would probably be easier to get the answers out of Zavy, and were going to keep her in one spot until she spilled. They opened the door to Charlie's room, seeing as Bill was down for a visit, and peeked inside. She was not there.

"Bathroom maybe?" Fred inquired.

"Maybe, but I don't think so," George answered. Where was she? They decided to wait until she got back from wherever it was that she disappeared. They did not wait long, as she startled them by suddenly appearing in front of them, beside Charlie's bed. She did not notice them at first, and put something in her pocket before looking around for her brush. She sensed someone watching her, and turned to look in their direction. _Oh shit... _The look on their faces indicated that they had indeed watched her appear in the room.

"Yes?" she said, surprised she was able to keep this a secret for so long.

"Where did you learn to apparate?" George asked. They were not going to have instruction until sixth year.

"Picked it up somewhere," she replied evasively.

"Enough of this shit Zavy. Tell us the truth about everything. We've been patient enough, we want to know," Fred shot at her. "We've been friends for almost a year and we know nothing about you. I think it's time now."

Zavy sighed. She knew that it was going to happen sooner or later, and it apeared as if now there would be no more avoiding it. "Alright. I promise I will later today, just not right now. Deal?" she told them. They both nodded, and then dragged her down the stairs for some breakfast.

The three of them were sitting outside on one of the hills. Zavy had layed down, relaxing, and staring up into the sky. She was thinking about the inevidable, she could tell they were itching to get the information out of her.

"How about now?" asked Fred, laying down beside her. George was on her other side, looking at her, waiting for her to start talking.

Zavy took a deep breath, and began, "We were born August 3rd, in a muggle hospital in Ontario, Canada. My dad told us that my birth was complicated, and that I almost didn't make it. They named me Zahava, meaning she who holds the flame. He always said it suited me because I was full of so much firey passion about everything I did. Albus Dumbledore was present at the hospital, and was named our god father. We lived in a muggle house, seeing as my dad was one. My mom was a witch, and she used to go to Hogwarts. Her name was Enid Sumpton, and she met my father, Ignatious DelCotta. He was in Manchester on business, and when they met, they instantly knew they would end up together.

"When Brenden and I were little, we came back with our parents to England. This was during the war, and my mom wanted to fight to protect my father and other muggle's and muggle borns. I want to say we were staying here at your home during the time, it is really familiar, and the way your parents react around us makes me think so as well.

"Two years later, the war was over, and my brother and I were sent back to Canada with my god father for a short time. My parents returned and life growing up was normal. At the proper ages, we attended a muggle school at my dads insistance. My mom had told him that we would be going to a different school when the timing was right, but until then, he wanted us to live as muggles. At age six, our god father had showed up to our home and our parents left. It was a year later that they were discovered dead in the mountains, near the Scottish highlands. They were hiding the location of our whereabouts, and even though the dark wizard was gone, his followers were still hunting. We were fed a bullshit story that they died in a car accident since we were too little to understand what was going on.

"You see, Brenden and I are not just a witch or a wizard. The term is sorcerers, and our magic is sorcery... if you didn't piece that together yet. We simply think of what it is we want to do, and then focus our will to do it. It's not much different from what you do, but the effects and ways of doing it are stronger, and take more out of you because you draw strength from yourself and your surroundings.

"Anyway, Dumbledore was not our guardian, and he kept us in Canada, hiring a caretaker. We continued to go to school with visits frequent visit from him. One day when we were ten years old, he came down for the Easter holiday and told us that we would be moving back to England on our birthday. I was terribly excited, I always wanted to go there, after hearing about it from him all the time.

"And so, on our eleventh birthday, our god father came to collect us. Before we flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, he told us the truth about our parents death and what we really were. He also told us that because of our powers, we were to wait three years before going to Hogwarts. We lived at the inn for those three years, until we would be attending Hogwarts, and I must say, I was very excited. During that time, Dumbledore brought us to the school mostly in the summer to help coach with our powers. We've always been pretty clever at what we did, so that's why were a bit more advanced than anyone else in our year.

"He told us that people would want to harm us, so he started a rumour when we left Canada that we had perished in a fire. It is important that we keep hidden from everyone, and anyone who knows of our existance is silenced with the Secrecy charm. Any mention of my brother and I, and anyone under oath will freeze up and be unable to speak a word. All the teachers and staff at Hogwarts took it, Tom the bar man has taken it, and I'm sure your parents will be taking it soon. Possibly even today, and now that I've told you both, you'll have to take it as well.

"There's no telling what could happen. I have a feeling that the dark wizard, Voldemort or whatever you wish to call him, will return. And he will come for us, because of our powers, and he will come for Harry because of his defeat. And when he does, if Harry doesn't kill him, I will. And I will kill the fuckers who murdered my parents as well," she finished, her voice very dark. Fred and George were silent, they truly had no words for her at the moment. It had made sense to them now, especially why she'd been so evasive when it came to her past. George put a hand on her shoulder.

"You won't be alone," was all he said to her.


	14. Chapter 14

Zavy was wiping down the bar at the Leaky Cauldron, seeing as it was closing time. Technically, it was her birthday, being it passed midnight, so she had tomorrow night off. Tom had agreed to let her work there, knowing that she would need the money after her god fathers arrangements. During the time that they had stayed there, she never asked for anything if she couldn't help it. He provided for them and offered a lot, all with Dumbledore's money at his insistance, but they humbly refused. He couldn't refuse her a job, seeing as he knew it was the only way she'd be able to get money to provide for her and her brother.

"Alright Tom, I'll see you in the next couple of days," she told him, grabbing her sweater.

"Good bye Zavy, and happy birthday," he waved and went up the stairs to his room.

Zavy walked down the streets of Diagon Alley towards her flat. It was nearly 2 a.m, and she was eager for sleep. She liked working night shifts because she slept in late anyway, and was always awake till odd hours. The streets were empty, only a few late night drunks occupied them.

"Any sign of her?" she heard a voice on the other side of the door to her flat.

"No, but she should be here soon. She was supposed to get off a half hour ago, and she usually takes her time walking, unless it`s raining," she heard Brenden`s voice explain. Curious, she opened the door slowly so that they wouldn`t hear her. She walked into the living room, not believing who she saw sitting on her couch.

"What the fuck?" she asked looking at her old friend from Canada, Alexandra. She stood up, still as short as she always was, with her short auburn type hair, and rose tinged glasses resting on her nose, accenting her sky blue eyes.

"Well thats`s no way to greet someone, unless they've broken into your home," she teased giving Zavy a hug.

"Holy shit, how are you? What are you doing here?"

"I`m fine, my family moved here about a month ago. We`ll be going to Hogwarts in September, and I saw your brother in the pet shop, he helped me pick out an owl."

"That`s insane. Wow, I can`t believe you turned out to be a witch."

"And who knew that I'd find you here of all places? Why didn't you tell me where you were moving?"

"I wasn't supposed to, it was all so sudden.

"We all thought you were dead, your house was burned to the ground. But Dumbledore explained all that when he came to welcome us to Hogwarts after we moved. Both my parents are magical you see, so they requested a transfer. I just hope it's not too different from Canada's school. Someone asked me the other day how the crack is down there, so I told them, I don't smoke crack, and they said, no I mean conversation! I felt like such a foreinger," Alex explained, laughing at herself.

Zavy laughed as well, "Don't worry, I had the same problem four years ago. You pick up on it the more you hang around. And as for Hogwarts, I've never been to any other magical school, so I love it. The only thing I don't like is rumor mill, but they have that everywhere. Oh, and you'll be separated into a house, mostly based on your best qualities."

"Sounds good so far, but I won't really know until I see it next month. But as for tonight, we have a bit of catching up to do," Alex held up a bottle of tequila.

"You seriously bought me a bottle of to-kill-ya?" Zavy asked, staring at her in shock.

"You bet. It's not only your birthday, it's also a reunion. When was the last time the three of us hung out? There's a lot to make up for," she replied, winking at Brenden.

"I think I'll pass..." said Brenden, knowing it was futile.

"Oh no you don't. My cousin is going to show up here with another bottle and hopefully some smoke and you will sit here and you will aceept everything I feed you and you will like it!" Alex was not going to let him get away that easily. Brenden smiled, offering nothing else. Zavy giggled, knowing Brenden had fancied her since day one. _Fancied? This place really is getting to me. _They heard a knock at the door and she went to go see who it was.

"Zahava Puria DelCotta. Look how you've grown..." said the person on the other side of the door.

"Hello Kyle. It has indeed been a while," Zavy smiled warmly at him. Kyle was Alexandra's cousin. His parents had died when he was little and he had been living with his aunt and uncle every since. He was maybe as tall as the twins now, the same kind of build. He had piercing blue eyes and black shaggy hair. He gave her a brief hug before walking in and depositing his bags on their island in the kitchen. They gathered in the kitchen, pouring themselves drinks, Kyle pulling out his bong and filling it with water.

"So will you be attending Hogwarts as well?" Brenden asked Kyle after taking a toke. Brenden believed in a puff every now and then, not making it a lifestyle.

"Yeah, I'll be in my sixth year. Once I met Dumbledore, I decided to read up on the place. The school is older than Welvsley in Canada, but it teaches the same things, so I'm quite excited," he replied, taking a drink.

"Why did you guys move here?" Zavy inquired, filling the bong bowl with weed she conjured up in her pocket.

"Dad wanted to be apart of the Ministry here. He said it was boring down there and wanted a change of scenery. It was maybe a month later that we all ended up here. We've got a house in the country, since we're magical and all," Alex explained, taking her toke. Kyle was rolling a blunt while catching up with Brenden and Zavy continued to harass Alex. It had been so long since she felt happy in the presence of friends. The twins had gone to Egypt with their family to visit Bill, and wouldn't be back until pretty much the end of summer. They promised to write and bring her back an wicked gift for her birthday when they returned. She smiled a bit sadly at the thought.

"This is a great place you've got here. I can't wait until I live on my own, I'm going to make it look so amazingly awesome that no one wants to leave, and then I can have the joy of kicking thier asses out!" Alex laughed, looking around the flat. Zavy laughed at her friend, the fog in her head seeming to increase with every passing second. Alex had always loved ordering people around, it was one of her favourite past times.

"I wouldn't listen even if you tried to physically or magically throw me out," she teased, pouring herself another drink. They cheersed and poured another. This was definately going to be a fun night.

Zavy brought Harry his food and a little pick-me-up drink. He had arrived last night, shortly after the Minister for Magic had arrived. Zavy laughed as Harry came down after meeting with him and recalled the story of how he had run away from home after blowing up his aunt. She really couldn't blame him, after all the horrid things those people did to him. If it was her instead of him, she'd probably have done worse, seeing as she didn't have a trace on her. The door from the wizarding side opened, as Brenden and her Zavy's surprise Hermione stepped thru it. Hermione was holding the orange tabby cat that Brenden had been telling her about. The cat jumped from her arms as they made their way to the bar where Harry sat.

"Harry, it's so good to see you," she said, taking a seat.

"Gimme a brew sis," said Brenden, sitting on the other side of Harry. Zavy brought it to him wordlessly, taking the money he offered her.

"Get off work?" she asked him, taking a seat on the other side of the bar. It was a surprisingly slow day, seeing as most of the students had already gotten their school things the week before.

"Yeah, I wasn't even supposed to be in today actually," he explained, taking a long drink.

Zavy looked at the fireplace as it started to glow green, indicating that someone was arriving via floo. What she was not expecting, was Ron and Ginny popping out of it, followed by Percy, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley and lastly, Fred and George. The red heads stayed in one spot, making sure everyone was there, then walked onwards to the entrance of Diagon Alley.

"Harry? Hermione?" asked Ron, spotting them after a few moments.

"Oh my, and Zavy and Brenden. Zavy, what are you doing on the other side of the bar? They don't like it when people steal you know," said George, walking over there with Fred and Ron. Ginny wasn't too far behind them, and their parents sat down at a table, deciding that school shopping would have to wait.

"I'm not stealing, I'm working, you know, something you'll never do, being a lazy git and all," she replied, smiling at him. It felt good to see her friends again after almost two months. They had grown in that short time, they seemed a bit taller and bulkier than usual, and their voices finally made up their mind about puberty.

"Oi, just for your information, we've been working all summer long on our soon to be full time job," Fred said, sitting down with George. The Golden Trio had moved to sit with Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ginny close to them. "Now, since you're the bar wench, bring me a drink, and you better remember to leave out the poison."

"Yes, oh pigheaded master," she said, bowing dramatically before going to get them a drink. She held out her hand expectantly after she set them down.

"What?" asked Fred.

"That isn't free ya know."

"You mean we can't have one on the house?" George asked, giving her a puppy look.

"Just this once then, but you owe me. I'm mad that you didn't tell me when you were getting back, or that you were even stopping by. You're lucky I've been working all summer."

"Oh Zahava, it's good to see you. Do you think we could get something to eat while we wait for you lot to catch up?" Mrs. Weasley asked approaching the bar.

"No, it's not a problem, I'll whip up something for you right now."

"Thank you dear, and I'll pay for whatever these two get, just bring us a plate of sandwiches if it isn't too much trouble, and some pumpkin juice."

Zavy nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to get the food ready. Maybe a half hour later, she emerged with a platter of sandwiches and brought it to the table. She attended to a couple more customers before returning to her post near her brother and the twins.

"Have you head about Black escaping?" George asked her.

"Black? What kind of bloke is he? Escaping from where?" Brenden asked, confused.

"Sirius Black, a murderer. He escaped from Azkaban, the first one to ever do it," Fred explained, signalling he needed another drink. Zavy refilled his glass, keeping a tab for his poor mother.

"What does he want?" Zavy asked, returning to their conversation.

"Who knows? It's said that he was a big follower of You Know Who, and he probably wants to continue the wishes of the Dark Lord," George said in a mockingly evil voice.

"Thats no joke mate, it sounds pretty intence," said Brenden, not liking the sounds of this "Black" fellow.

"Actually, the rumor is, he's looking to destroy the one person who defeated You Know Who," said Fred. They all instantly looked at Harry, who was talking to Mr. Weasley off in the corner. "Another thing, if he finds out about you two, then surely he'll come after you."

"Well, everyone thinks were dead, and anyone who knows about our past is sworn to secrecy, so I don't see it leaking out. The only way the charm is broken is if the secret keeper is gone, much like the Fidelius Charm," Zavy mused before attending to a family of four that just arrived in the corner.

George looked at her. She seemed a bit different to him this time. After spending that time in Egypt, eager to show her all that he had seen, she seemed to have grown a bit herself. Not so much in height, but more so in the womanly features department. He definately noticed that she was a bit bigger in cup size, and her hips were rounded off a little bit more. She was only fifteen, things could only get better. "This year is definately going to be interesting," he said finally, staring after her.

Zavy and Brenden sat across from each other in an empty compartment on the train back to school. Zavy was a bit upset that she would have to stop working until school was over, she loved her job, but was content now that they had an owl of their very own. She had picked a snowy owl, much like Harry's only hers was mini. Brenden had shown the same amount of interest in her, and they decided that she would be the one. They hadn't given the creature a name yet, but it didn't really seem necessary to any of them. The compartment door opened not long after departure.

"There you guys are. I was wondering if maybe you missed the train," said Alexandra, walking in with Kyle behind her. She took a seat beside Brenden, while Kyle sat beside Zavy.

Zavy laughed, "No, we just like hiding from your stench."

"Very funny blondy."

"Hey, Blondie was a very sucessful music artist. I'm honored that you would compare me to such a person," said Zavy in fake modesty. The compartment door opened yet again.

"Looks like a full house here Gred," said George, stepping in and sitting beside Alex.

"Indeed Forge, we'll have to do something about that. Hey, you lot, fancy another place?" Fred asked, taking a seat across from his brother.

"Relax loser, their old friends of ours. And I don't need the likes of you to defend me. I can turn anyone I want into a toad if they so much as displease me," she explained sticking her tongue out at them.

"Oi, is that another hole in your tongue?"

"Why yes, yes it is. It's my birthday present from Alex. By the way, Kyle, Alex, these are our friends from school Fred and George. They're the ones I was telling you about that know about our past. Fred, George, these are old friends that moved here from Canada," Zavy introduced.

"Whatever she said about us is all lies!" Fred declared to them.

"Whatever he said is most likely true..." George mused, not liking the way this Kyle bloke was looking at Zavy._ Did he just move closer?_

Zavy rolled her eyes and Brenden laughed. George looked at her, watching as this Kyle character seemed to be trying to discreetly touch her leg with his. He felt Fred kick him from across the compartment and snapped out of whatever trance he seemed to be in. The train ride was filled with jokes and talk about product line on Fred and George's part. As they approached the castle, the twins and their two friends left the compartment in order to change into their school robes.

"What was that all about?" Fred asked his brother once they had left.

"What are you talking about?" George was curious.

"I'm talking about how that Kyle bloke would've died fifty times over with the looks you were giving him. Are you jealous?"

George snorted, "I don't seem to recall. No I am not jealous, there's just something I don't trust about him."

"Yup, you're jealous, I knew it, you've fallen for Zavy now. Not a bad catch though, certainly not my type, but she is a wonderful girl."

"You stupid git, I have not fallen for anyone. She's my best mate, I'm just looking out for her is all."

"Keep telling yourself that, it might actually come true."

Zavy returned with Brenden not long after the conversation. She sat down and George made sure he was beside her so that if Kyle did decide to return, he would have to go thru him. Fred gave him an I-told-you-so look before the train came to a stop. Confused, the two sets of twins looked around, wondering what was going on. The air turned to a chill, and the windows fogged up. The door opened and what they saw was so horrible. Fred and George looked terrified, as did Brenden, but Zavy just stared at the hooded grim reaper looking creature. She felt the cold and the depression, but what she felt more was curiosity. What was this thing? What did it want? She gently pushed her mind out to it, hoping to get her answers. What she saw was horrifying, as the creature attacked her mind directly. She fell to the floor instantly, screaming and thrashing about, holding her head.

"Zavy!" the three boys in the room screamed. George held her head up a bit. A mysterious light made the creature vanish, along with the cold, ice and depression around them. Zavy was still screaming.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" she screamed, trying desperately to get rid of all the horrible images the creature had pushed into her head. She couldn't focus, there was so much sorrow and despair. It was driving her literally mad, and she tried to get away, to run from it all, but could not move her legs, could barely move a muscle in George's arms.

"Zavy, we're here. I'm here, it's me, George, please stop, focus," he tried pleading with her.

"Fight it Zavy, don't let it get to you," said Fred, trying to reach her as well. Brenden just stood there with a scared look on his face. He did not know what he could do for his sister, he just froze.

"NOOOO!" she was still screaming and thrashing her body. Her head was starting to bleed from her finger nails digging into it, her hair looking like she was about to rip her skin off. "Please, stop, please. BLOODY HELL MAKE IT STOP!"

George looked at Fred desperate for an answer. His brother held up his hands helplessly, the worry in his face mirroring his own. He looked at Brenden, but he seemed to be a vegetable, just staring at her with a look that seemed to lose all hope.

"Is everything okay in there?" asked a strange old man, entering the room.

"No, she needs help. Please, help her," said Fred, as George moved out of the way to let him look. Zavy was shaking violently once he had let her go, blood pouring down her head and soaking her blond hair, staining it an orangish colour. The strange man looked at her oddly for a moment, then flicked his wand once and the was instantly still and quiet, her eyes closed.

"What did you do to her?" George asked, picking her up and laying her on the seat of the compartment.

"I merely put her to a temporary sleep until we can get her to the school infirmary. This is beyond my skills, Madam Pomphrey will know more. One more thing, is she by chance Zavy DelCotta? You can tell me, I've been placed under the oath as well."

Fred and George looked at each other. They nodded once at him, deciding that he was indeed telling the truth, or he would not be able to speak her name.

"This must make him Brenden," the man mused, reaching into his pocket, "Here son, eat this, it'll make you feel better," he instructed, giving Brenden chocolate. "We'll be arriving at the castle shortly. Take her to Madam Pomphrey immediately, I will vouch for your tardiness at the ceremony," he told the twins before leaving.

George looked at his brother, who supported her feet where he sat. Her head was rested in George's lap, and he absent mindedly stroked her hair, her soft and silky blond hair. He looked over at Brenden who seemed to be feeling a bit better, but was still looking at his sister with a crest fallen look. _What did that dementor do to her?_

* * *

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	15. Chapter 15

Dumbledore stood in the hospital wing with McGonagall, Snape, Madam Pomphrey, Brenden, Fred, George and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. He had been the one on the train to drive away the dementors, and the one to find Zavy screaming her head off, digging her nails into her skull and trying desperately to stop whatever was happening to her. The girl in question was in a bed, with everyone circled around her. Professor Lupin had told Dumbledore what had happened, and called them all there immediately after the ceremony.

"Now, Mr. Weasley, Mr. DelCotta and Mr. Weasley, please recall the events of the train ride?" Dumbledore asked them. They were silent for a moment. Fred and George looked at Brenden. He was staring at his sister, the same look of sorrow on his face.

"We were in a compartment on the train. Zavy and Brenden had come back from changing into thier school robes and not long after, the train stopped. A dementor came in shortly after, the cold, the depression made it obvious that it was the cause of all this. Zavy was staring at it one minute, then she was on the ground the next..." George explained.

"Her screaming snapped us out of whatever the dementor was doing to us, and she just wanted us to make it stop. She nearly took her head off," Fred supplied when George trailed off.

"Was there anything unusual about her before she started screaming?" Dumbledore asked again. The twins shook their head.

"Probe. She went to probe.. and then... this..." Brenden spoke for the first time since the incident. The room was silent for a few more moments.

"What does that mean Albus?" McGonagall asked, breaking the silence.

"It means that her mind was attacked directly by the dementor. She lost control and her powers would surely had been involved if Remus was not here to stop her in time. She sees the images that the one particular dementor has taken from the lives of the prisoners they were guarding. These are images from murderers, mad people, innocent people who have seen horrors, anything that would scare a normal being. We're lucky that she's not permanently damaged from it," Dumbledore told them in a calm voice, never taking his eyes of his god daughter. "Let us go for now. You can come see her tomorrow, there's nothing more that can be done, a sleeping potion has already taken effect."

"But, she'll be okay right?" George asked. He was really worried about her. The whole ordeal scared him nearly to death. Fred didn't know what he was talking about, she was his best mate, of course he was worried about her.

"She will recover physically over night. As for mentally, we cannot be sure. I'm sure whatever happened will stay with her, she just has to be strong enough to overcome it," Dumbledore replied and escorted them back to thier commons.

George lay in his bed. He knew that Fred was also awake, recalling what had happened tonight on the train. She was screaming, something had scared her about what happened. What did Brenden mean by probe? Surely she didn't try to look into the dementor's mind? But maybe she did, and what she saw there scared her into insanity. What a fool. Did she not understand what they were? Maybe she didn't, and maybe that's why she looked into it's mind, to understand. George would have to have a long talk with her about the dangerous creatures. He was scared for her, and did not want something like this to happen again.

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

George woke up, ignoring his dream. He was more focused on Zavy, as she had been in his thoughts and dreams all night. He got up out of bed and proceeded to the shower. Him and Fred were planning on going to see her before breakfast, and then maybe skiving off and staying with her. He walked downstairs and waited in the commons until Fred was ready.

As they walked into the hospital wing, they saw Brenden, sleeping with his head on her bed. He must've been there all night, poor guy. They all so saw Alex and much to George's dismay, Kyle. He stood at her bedside, holding her hand. George glared at him, but no one saw it. Who the hell did this bloke think he was? Why did this guy make him so mad? The fact that Kyle had turned out to be in Slytherin didn't help his opinion of the boy. Alex was in Hufflepuff, George's opinion of her was still unformed. Fred seemed to like her, and from the train ride, she seemed a decent person. Her rose coloured spectacles were in her hands as she looked upon her old friend. George looked at Zavy for the first time since they had arrived. Her pretty face looked troubled, and her hair was still stained with her blood. He could see the finger nail marks on her forehead, making it look sort of like a crown.

"Should we wake him up?" Alex asked the room, inclining her head at Brenden.

"Let him sleep, he probably won't get much of it until she wakes up," the git Kyle replied.

Fred approached the bed and tried to tickle her foot. She remained unresponsive and he sighed. Just then, one of the DelCotta twins began to stir. Everyone looked at them expectantly, and Zavy's beautiful eyes opened, showing a greyish purple. She blinked a couple of times, and then lifted her head to look around. She saw the faces of her friends, but not her brother. She then noticed he was sleeping on her arm and looked down at him. The worry on his face while he slept was clear, and she stroked his hair, like when they were little and slept in the same bed when there was a problem.

"Is he alright?" she asked, still staring at him.

"He's just worried love, much like the rest of us," George told her. She looked at him when she heard his voice. Her eyes had a slight pink tinge to them, as she remembered George was the one who was fighting with her while she fought with the images in her head. She pushed them aside instantly, not wanted to go back to them. She carefully pulled her arm out from under Brenden's head, so as not to wake him, but to regain blood flow in it.

"Are you alright?" asked Alex, moving in front of Kyle.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine, just... tired," she replied, resting her head back.

"Oh my, you're awake! How are you feeling dear?" Madam Pomphrey had entered her area.

"Fine, just a bit hungry," Zavy replied, putting on the mask to try and get out of here asap. The medi-witch left the room, but quickly returned with a potion.

"You must drink all of this, and then I'll let you go with your friends to get something to eat," she instructed, handing her the cup. Zavy downed it in record time, then carefully woke her brother.

"Get up! I'd love to leave you here, but when you get mad, you scare me!" she told him, shaking him. He lifted his head and once he saw her, he hugged her fiercly. She hugged him back just as tight, as if he were going to be blown away from where he stood. They shared that moment for a bit, before breaking apart and leaving the wing. Alex and Kyle separated from them to go get food, while the two sets of twins went to the Gryffindor common room so Zavy could get ready. She went immediately to her dorm and into the bathroom to apparate to her smoking spot. She conjured a joint and then a smoke for after. She wanted to relax and not make the others worry like they had been. She apparated back and then had a much needed shower. She healed the cuts on her forehead and got dressed in her robes, ready for whatever the day had to offer her.

Zavy was surprised that she was not the only one affected by the strange creature on the train that she now knew to be a dementor. The talk of rumor mill was about how Harry Potter had fainted on the train. She was greatful, even though she felt bad for Harry, she would prefer that people didn't know of her incident. It would raise too many questions in her opinion.

George observed the blond sitting beside her brother, across from him. He knew she wasn't as okay as she pretended to be. Just last year he saw how fragile she truly was, but as she barely nibbled at her food, he knew she would keep this mask on so as not to make them worry further. Their heads of house were handing them their time tables surprised a bit to see Zavy sitting there. She smiled slightly, accepting her piece of paper, and went back to nibbling.

Fred was annoyed that yet again they had potions first thing in the morning every day. He sat with Alex, the fifth year Hufflepuff that transferred from the school in Canada. The twins deliberately did not sit together because they would just be separated like every year. He looked over at Zavy and George at the table beside him. Any idiot could see that he fancied her, as much as he'd like to deny it. Last night on the train had scared him, but he knew that it affected George much more worse. He was not sure what it was that had gotten into George, until Zavy and Brenden had come along. He liked Zavy, she was a good mate, and bloody brilliant, but the effect she had on George seemed strange to him. He was forever doing things to keep her around, or to bring her up in conversation. The only explanation was the he did indeed fancy her, and hadn't yet admitted it to himself.

He observed them some more. They did make a good team, almost as good as him and George, but her feelings towards him her unclear. Fred had to be sure his brother would not get hurt, despite his friendship with her. George had always been a bit more sensitive than he, but that's what you get when you're the least favoured twin. "Why is it always Fred and George, why can't it be George and Fred?" he used to say when they were little. Being an identical twin had some perks, but a lot of downfalls. At least Zavy and Brenden were different from each other, so everyone knew which one was which. That didn't change that they were basically a package deal.

Fred's silent musing was short lived as he wasn't paying attention to his potion, and Alex being no potions master managed to blow up, their cauldron caught fire and soon imploded. They stared at the cauldron, unsure of what could've happened, and then began to laugh.

"Too much goblin blood," Zavy told them, her and George's potion coming out perfect like always. Zavy didn't listen to what the book said, but insisted on a pinch here, a dash there, a wrong when it seemed necessary. She was thankful that George never questioned her on it, otherwise, it would make things a little more complicated.

"How in the bloody hell do you do that?" asked Fred, staring into their cauldron.

"I don't know. I just do, and this is what happens," she replied, pouring some of the contents into a vile for testing. They vacated the room, to their next class that would be taught by none other than Rubeus Hagrid.

They sat in the Hall for lunch. There wasn't really much of anything going on, Fred and George had been careful not to mention anything of last night. Zavy was doing her best to keep those memories at bay, and had started smoking a little more as a result. She observed Professor Lupin from where he sat at the teachers table. So far, she had found nothing wrong with him like that loser Lockhart last year. After lunch would be able to tell her more.

Fred and George had told her that the dementors would be around the very outskirts of the school to look for the criminal Sirius Black. Everytime she heard the name, she thought of last night, the only memory of the dementor that didn't frighten her. It was angry that it could not get a rise out of the man, that he truly believed he was innocent about whatever had happened years ago. She did not think much upon it, but had a mild curiosity. If she ever met the man, she might just go have a look to see what really happened, to see if he was just mad and delusional or if he was indeed an innocent man.

"Harry and Ron said that Lupin was brilliant. He's starting all lessons today with a bouggart, pretty wicked," said Fred between mouthfuls.

"Wonder what'll turn up. I'm not sure what I happen to be afraid of," George mused. Zavy was nibbling at her food, not really hungry. She knew it was the effects of the potion she had this morning, having made one herself last year. She had read about the bouggarts, and could not think about what it would turn into when it encountered her.

"Well, we're about to find out."

"What do you think yours will turn into Z?" George asked her. She had been particularly quiet today, which was unnatural, but after last night, he really couldn't blame her.

"I really don't know. Haven't thought about it, but I'm sure there's something. Just can't be sure as to what," she replied, getting up to leave and find out.

The creature was in a wardrobe, trying desperately to get out, sensing that there was people around. They were instructed to form a line a good distance away, so they could each take a turn at repelling it. Zavy was not interested in the bouggart, she stood in the line instead in front of Fred who was in front of George observing the new Professor Lupin. There seemed to be nothing wrong with him attitude wise, and he did have a sense of humour. She decided she liked him, and was hoping he wouldn't be conusmed by this cursed position. However, she was either really tired and seeing things, or there was indeed a creature, a beast, occupiying the same space as he. Everyone else could not see it, she knew that, but she was desperately triyng to remember what she was seeing. One of the students mostly feared a wolf, a giant huge fanged timber wolf. Something clicked in her head, Remus Lupin was were wolf. She looked at the man in alarm, and he was looking at her. She felt sorry for the poor man, and the look on his face told her that he knew she understood.

It was her turn to step in front of the wardrobe. Professor Lupin opened the door and stepped back, as curious as Fred and George about what would step out. Zavy did not think of what could be so frightening, she did not know what it could be. The dementor had been scary as hell, but the images she saw were worse, yet they didn't bother her either. She knew there was worse out there, like finding her brother brutally murdered. Even though that thought scared her as well, she knew things could be a lot worse. She waited patiently until the creature would approach, but what she saw was nothing that any of them were expecting. It was a small creature, with tiny arms and legs and round body. It blew up a bit bigger to her size and she laughed at the little thing.

"Merlin's beard! This must be the true form of the bouggart!" Professor Lupin exclaimed. Zavy looked at him in alarm. She feared nothing? Not a thing? She was snapped out of her thoughts when the creature exploded in front of their eyes. It took a few moments for that to sink in before Professor Lupin spoke again, "Well class, looks like it's an early day. I won't give you any homework on the first day, but let me tell you. What we have just seen has never been seen before, and I'm sure it will not be seen again for a very long time," he told them in dismissal. Zavy contemplateed staying behind and talking to him for a moment, but decided it would be best to wait and left with the twins.

"That was wicked Z!" said Fred once they had reached the commons. They moved to their usual spot in front of the fire.

"Yeah, you have no fears, that's incredible," George put in sitting on one side of her. Zavy had noticed that he had been keeping his distance since he had returned from Egypt. While Fred would put an arm around her, or rest his head on her, George seemed to be more reserved lately, as if something was bothering him. She was slightly hurt that he was being like this, but was sure it was nothing too serious.

"It's too bad I didn't get to see what you two feared," she mused, getting up and deciding it was time for a smoke.

"Oi, where you off to?" asked Fred.

"I'm going to change out of my robes and use the bathroom," she told them, walking up to her dorm. She grabbed a black skirt, her boots and a tank top and walked into the bathroom. She let her hair fall freely down her shoulders before realizing she forgot her hat. She looked into her trunk for it with her mind and translocated it to her hands. She put it on, slanted as always before apparating to the treeline of the Forbidden Forest to have a smoke. She saw the third years coming back from what she could assume was Care of Magical Creatures. She then saw Hagrid carrying that git Malfoy up to the castle, and was hoping his injury was life threatening. She then heard a noise behind her, a whipped around to its source. She saw a black dog in the forest, looking at her.

"Hello," she said to it in his language. The dog's ears perked up as if it were confused, but it walked up to her and sat down. "One wonders if you are lost?" she asked it, stroking his ears.

"No, one is looking for an enemy," the dog replied.

"I see. One must return to her den. I wish you happy hunting friend," said Zavy, apparating back to the bathroom. She walked downstairs, back to where her friends were, keeping her encounter a secret.

"Geeze, just like a woman to take forever," Fred commented on her return.

"No way, I wake up looking this good," she teased, smiling sweetly at him.

"You sure do," said George softly. Fred did not hear him, and Zavy pretended like she didn't, but smiled at his comment. Her stomach did a flip to hear him say such a nice thing. _Weird. _

"So what do we do now?" asked Fred

"Who knows? Let's go for a walk and see what great modifications can be made to the school today," George suggested. Zavy was really up for anything, seeing as it had been a while since she had some real fun with her friends. They agreed and went to look for their friend Lee Jordon. Usually around this time, he would be in the Hall with Angelina, so they would start their search there.

"Pury!" Kyle approached them as they entered the Hall.

"Helllo Kyle," she said politely.

"How are you feeling? I heard about what happened this afternoon, that's intence."

"I'm fine and yeah, it came as a shock to me to. How are you enjoying yourself?"

"Oh I'm having a blast. I'm not really into this housing idea, but I'm not liking this housing idea. Did you know we're supposed to be sworn enemies?"

"Yeah, but it's hard to introduce change for those who aren't ready."

"Why don't we start now? Come have something to eat with me," Kyle invited, taking her arm. George narrowed his eyes at the bloke, walking up to put an arm around her shoulders.

"Shall we get going then?" he asked her, pulling her closer to him. Kyle let his hand fall, looking at George with daggers.

"Sorry Kyle, I personally don't like a soul in your house and would really prefer to stick with my own," she explained, slightly blushing at George's display. George pulled her away from the new Slytherin and to the Gryffindor table where she belonged. _What was that about? _Zavy wondered as George released her and she sat down in the middle of the twins. Fred stared at George with the same knowing look.

Fred could tell that if George didn't realize his feelings, he would do something he would terribly regret. George did not have the best control over his emotions, and one had a magical explosion when they were kids. He rarely got mad, but when he did, he was a force to be reckoned with. Zavy seemed ignorant to his feelings, and with George denying them, he was hoping he wouldn't have to step in, but he had to look after his brother. Only time would be able to tell what she would do, and how the events of this year would play out for the both of them.


	16. Chapter 16

Zavy was sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts beside Lee Jordon. Professor Lupin was recovering for a couple of days after his first full moon cycle here at Hogwarts, and it was clear to her that he would need some more potion. She decided that she would indeed stay and talk with him, about his conidtion, and about what she could do to fend off the dementors. However, since today seemed to be not a very pleasant one, she would wait until tomorrow, hoping it would be better.

Since her attack a little more than a month ago, she had found it was easier to push the thoughts aside, and was starting to forget them. The memory of Sirius Black in the dementors mind, now her own was still as clear as ever, seeing as it wasn't a horrifying memory, just a frustrating one. Everyone was talking about how he was near here, or spotted there, and everyone knew that he was indeed coming for none other than Harry Potter.

She knew that maybe she should be worried about the so called murderer, but if he was as ruthless and evil as everyone made him out to be, wouldn't he have stormed throughout the school, killing everyone in sight to reach Harry? She did not voice her thoughts out loud to anyone, not really wanting them to know the things she saw. Thankfully, the buzz was lowering as the first Quidditch match was coming up, and the anticipation was a good break from all this needless worrying. Class was dismissed with minimal homework, seeing as Professor Lupin knew there was practice for the game to be had. She also noticed that he had a soft spot for Gryffindor, and highly suspected he was once apart of their house back in the day.

Zavy walked with Lee and the twins to the Gryffindor common room, and had her usual ritual of going to change out of her robes and have smoke. Lately it had been more about the weed than the nicottine, and she did not think that it was so bad, but she just couldn't help herself. The shaggy black dog had come out of the forest when she had appeared in her usual spot. He was accompanied by Crookshanks, Hermione's cat. The two of them were fast friends, and she believed the dog shared more information witht the cat, rather than her. It did not bother her though, animals understood each other more than animals could understand humans.

"One wonders how the hunt is going?" she asked the dog, sitting against the boulder.

"The hunt is pleasing. It could be better with a mere scent," the dog replied, sitting down beside her. She pet its ear absent mindedly, as the cat hopped up on her lap.

"You seem to have a way with animals love," said Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain. He had found out about her secret addiction last year, and seemed to find her everytime.

"I suppose so," she said, moving the cat and standing up.

"How've you been?"

"As good as I could possibly be," she said, flashing him a convincing smile.

"That's good to hear. How about that date we missed last year?"

Zavy smiled again. She was happy that he was straight to the point, but felt bad for the girls he would be dating. There would be no romance, "I think I could work something out," she replied.

Oliver smiled, staring at her, "Can't wait. Would you like an escort back to the castle? Maybe get something to eat?"

She shook her head, "No, you go on without me. I've got to make sure the boys aren't having fun without me."

He looked a bit put out, but nodded and made his way back up to the castle. Zavy looked after him for a moment, taking a drag of her smoke. She did not think about thought of him, but bid farewell to her animal friends and apparated back to her dorm. She walked downstairs and met her friends, sitting on the couch. She sat on the chair away from them. She was weird around George these days. His display in front of the Hall when Kyle had invited her to sit with him for food was strange to her. They were only friends, and she didn't understand why he got so mad.

"Why does he call you Pury?" George demanded of her, after a brief exchange after dinner a few nights ago. Fred sighed as he walked with them.

"Because of my middle name, Puria. It means golden, and he's always called me that," she explained, slightly confused as to why he was acting up.

"Hmph," he said, dropping the subject.

It wasn't one of the only times. Once she was speaking with George while Fred was off doing Merlin knows what, Kyle had walked up and stepped right in front of George while they were in the middle of a conversation. She was beginning to become fed up with both of their attitudes and wanted to bash their heads together. Fred knew something that he wasn't telling her, but she did not pry. She knew that he would tell her if it was serious, and waited patiently until that time came.

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

Zavy got into the shower, relieved that the dream had finally returned. For the last little while it had been nightmares, and with her recurring dream that for once did not annoy her back, she could tell that she was getting past what happened with the dementors. But today was not the time to think about the dementors, today was the time to go to the Quidditch pitch and watch her house compete against Ravenclaw. Brenden had been training hard, and he wanted to show the twins much like last year that he was a force to be reckoned with.

She made her way down to the pitch and sat with Alex amidst the Gryffindor's. It was a stormy day, and the wind was raging, but no one would miss it for the world. The whistle blew, the snitch was gone, and all the players were zooming in the air. It was hard to watch with the rain pouring down, but Lee Jordon's commentary helped them follow what was happening. Brenden, playing the position of chaser was scoring multiple goals against Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor teams keeper. Zavy saw the snitch floating in front of her, the disappeared into the clouds. Harry soared after it, Cho Chang right behind him. They disappeared into the clouds after it, and Zavy put her attention back to the match.

The air started to get cold, their breath becoming visible. She shoved her hands in her pockets, the temperature dropping drastically. The rain looked as if it were turning to snow, and then Zavy saw Cho flying down, trying to regain control of her broom. She did not have the snitch, which meant that Harry was still up there. But where? Her question was soon answered as Harry was falling thru the sky, and then to here horror, a dementor flying after him. Dumbledore had stopped Harry from a splattering death, while she noticed Fred, George and Brenden flying to where she sat. Zavy climbed onto her brother's broom and flew down to see Harry, while Alex was with Fred. Miraculously, he had caught the snitch.

The whole team, as well as Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Zavy, Brenden, Alex and Kyle were in the hospital wing, waiting for Harry to regain conciousness. Dumbledore was fuming at the very fact that the dementors set foot on the grounds, and went straight to the ministry to do something about it. While the dementor's presence had indeed frightened Zavy, she was too distracted to pay much attention to it and was greatful her encounter was short lived.

"Pury, you want to go back to the commons?" Kyle asked, moving to stand beside her.

"No, I'm pretty sure she'd like to stay with her own house," George answered for her, glaring at the Slytherin.

"I wasn't asking you, I was asking Pury, you piece of shit!"

"Sod off you miserable git!"

"ENOUGH!" Zavy screamed, her eyes flashing from a stealy grey to a dangerous red. Everyone turned to look at the exchange, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT. BOTH OF YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, DON'T LOOK AT ME, DON'T TALK TO ME, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT ME. PEACE THE FUCK OUT!" and she stormed out of the room, destination, cigarette. The room was silent for a moment.

"Look what you've done asshole, you've driven her away!" Kyle pointed at George and then the place Zavy once stood.

"You're just a filthy Slytherin prick who needs to learn his place," George retorted, angry that this boy had ruined his friendship.

"I need to learn my place? I've known her longer than you, I know where she comes from, and I can treat her better than you ever could!"

"Who do you think she goes to when she has a problem? Us, not you. But what's it matter now, you got what you wanted to stupid clot. At least you made it possible for me to have what I wanted as well."

"IF you two are quite finished, the patient is trying to rest," Madam Pomphrey intervened. She heard the exchange from her office, as if they were right beside her the whole time. The two boys glared at each other and then fell silent. George left the room, and Fred was not far behind him. Fred knew that he would snap sometime, he just thought there was more time. At least like this, there wouldn't be another explosion for a while, he just hoped they would all come to thier senses, seeing his friends fight was not one of his favourite past times.

"Who does that guy think he is! Blasted prat ruins everything!" George mused at Fred, but mostly to himself. Fred was silent. This really was both of their doing. Zavy was reasonable, she would probably make them suffer for a bit before deciding to talk to Kyle and George again. However, Fred had never seen her angry like that, to the point where she wanted their heads to explode. This was such a horrible day, he just hoped this fight wouldn't last too long.

Zavy was smoking a joint in her spot by the boulder. The way those two talked about her back there as if she were incompetent and couldn't make up her own mind really pissed her off. She was sick of the fighting, and decided not to stand idly by and watch it anymore. As far as she was concerned, they were no longer friends, neither of them. That is, until they decided to get their heads checked. What was it about men and being territorial? The necklace at her throat burned and she instictively put her hand to it.

-That was very dramatic of you- her brother's voice sounded in her head.

-I can't believe the two of them- she replied.

-What are you going to do now?-

-Ignore them until they decide to stop being prats-

-That might be hard for them...-

-Wht are you talking about?-

-You mean you haven't noticed? Been paying attention? Or was your brain turned off?-

-Noticed what? Stop playing games, I'm already mad!- But his voice was gone. She was confused now, but thought nothing more on it and stayed in her commons for the rest of the day until it was time for bed. Avoiding Kyle would be easy, but George would be more difficult. She did not want to punish Fred, he was innocent. And then another thought occured to her. George was her partner for potions, there was no avoiding him there. That would be it then. She would not speak to him unless she absolutely had to, and there would be no reason for her to speak with Kyle.

George was livid. Because of that stupid git Kyle, Zavy was ignoring him, not even looking at him. Whenever he did catch a glimpse of her glancing at him, he saw the same angry red of her eyes. She concentrated on their potion, the wolfsbane potion. It didn't make sense that Professor Snape would just jump to this potion instead of continuing the train they were going.

"Zavy...?" he tried to speak to her. She did not even acknowledge his presence. He prepared all the ingredients and passed them over to her, but she still remained unresponsive. Fred looked over at them. His brother seemed to be lost, not even full of jokes as he tried to get one word out of her. She was angry, that was very clear to everyone in the room. He was impressed with the way she handled him, cause if he knew anything about her, he knew that she would be avoiding George. Yet no one, other than maybe Brenden, had every seen her this angry before, and did not know the extend her rage could take her.

As class ended, Zavy finished up the potion and left. George stared after her with a crest fallen look. She deliberately left George to take the potion to Snape so that she could make a quick get away. Fred sighed and walked without him.

"I wonder how long this will go on," Fred mused to Alex.

"If your brother would just apologize to my cousin, I'm sure it would all be fine," she explained.

"Your cousin is the reason he's done this."

"And what's that supposed to mean? Kyle asked her a simple question and George lost it on him."

"Is your cousin perhaps blind? Anyone in the school can see that George fancies her, Kyle seemed to purposely provoke him."

Alex sighed. While she wanted to defend her cousin, she knew that Fred was right, "Kyle is horrible for that. It was like this with his other girlfriends. If there was competition, he would simply make them look like fools, and try to get the girl to leave them and go to him. In this case, he only half succeeded. But Zavy... I think she does have a crush George. All she talked about during the summer while you two were gone was you and him. Mostly him, but it's hard to be sure."

Fred thought about that for a moment. If Zavy did indeed fancy George then she had not yet admitted it to herself. She must also be oblivious to Kyle and George's obvious display of feelings. The only thing to do was wait until one of them swallowed their pride. Fred hoped it would not continue to be like this, but only time would tell.

"Professor Lupin?" Zavy asked, walking up to the teacher after classes were done for the day.

"Yes Miss Delcotta?" he replied, curious as to what she could want from him.

"Would it be alright if we had a talk?"

"If you wish. What's on your mind?"

"I was wondering a few things actually. My god father told me that you were in the war years ago..."

Lupin looked at the girl, and gestered for her to sit, "Yes, I was, with your late mother. She was a very talented witch, I can see where you get your potion talents from. When she returned from Canada, she brought her family with her. I met you for the first time, in the middle of diapers and potty training. Your father was a good man, and offered to help in any way he could, even though he was only a muggle."

"Do you... do you know who killed them?"

Lupin sighed. He should've figured she would ask him this, seeing as Dumbledore had warned him about it, "I'm sorry, but I cannot say. Though I am aware you can reach into my mind for the information, I really hope you respect your god father's wishes and resist the temptation."

Zavy nodded once in understanding, "When were you bitten?"

Lupin looked shocked. While he was aware that she knew of his secret, he did not think she would ask, "When I was a child. I was outside and I was bitten by none other then Fenrir Greyback. His favourite targets are children, and he happens to be a pack leader that does not believe in were wolves coinciding with muggles."

"You know of my... particular... talents correct?"

Lupin nodded mutely.

"Can you show me then, how I would be able to take on a dementor without conjuring a patronus?"

"You can conjure a patronus."

"I can?"

"Yes, but in a different way than the others. I will show you how to conjure yours in a way that supports your powers."

"When can we begin?"

"Give me a couple of weeks. Alright?"

"Of course. Thanks Professor," Zavy got to up leave.

"Your welcome. Might I suggest you be just a little easier on Mr. Weasley? He really does miss your company you know," Lupin told her as a farewell. Zavy ignored him until she got out of his office. She sighed, she missed him terribly to. Everyday he would try talk to her, and everyday she would pretend like she didn't hear. She could see the hurt in his eyes when she walked around, but did his best to maintain his composure. Kyle had been an insufferable git, she had to admit. He didn't even bother to talk to her and when he did try once, he blew it.

"I just want you know, I forgive you for shouting at me. If you agree to never speak to George again, I'll still be your friend," he told her. Zavy glared at him, then punched him in the face, breaking his nose.

"How DARE you!" she screamed, vacating the scene. Luckily, there was not a soul around, so Kyle got to tell everyone an embellished story. Everyone that is, except Alex. She knew the story and was giving her cousin shit for it every moment they had alone.

Zavy walked to the common room, preparing to go and have a smoke. She saw Fred and George sitting at their usual spot. Fred looked at her and smiled. She acknowledged him, but did not think in George's general direction. She was not mad at Fred, and was surprised he hadn't come and talked to her by now. It was nearly Halloween, and the first Hogsmeade visit was coming up. Oliver had so graciously reminded her about the upcoming event, and told her that they would have a blast. The thought of going on a date with Oliver Wood made her smile. He was indeed a cute Scottish boy, and she was thrilled that someone like that would show interest in her. The only hope she had was that his obsession with Quidditch would cease so that the crack would be good.

Brenden was sitting in the library, the only place he did not have to see Fred, George, Zavy or Kyle. He was pissed at Kyle for the way he treated his sister, sick of listening to George ask when she would talk to him or if she had said anything. Fred and Zavy didn't talk much about it, though Brenden could tell Fred was planning something soon. Brenden sat with Hermione, helping her with her mountains of homework. Since she had recieved the time turner, she was over stressed with all of her work, and Brenden offered to help since he had learned most of it anyway. She was grateful but sworn him to secrecy about any of it.

"How typical I would find you two here," said Fred as he approached them.

"Didn't you know? This is the place to be," Brenden declared, making room for him to sit down.

"I'll get to the point-"

"I was hoping you might."

"My brother fancies your sister. He's to arrogant to admit it, but he does, and that's what most of this is about."

"And?"

"It seems clear to me that your sister fancies my brother as well, but she doesn't realize it yet, nor does she realize that George is into her."

"Go on."

"That's the problem, and this has gone on for too long. Let's do something about it."

"Like what?"

"I was thinking we could come up with a plan to work out on Halloween in Hogsmeade."

"I don't think so. It'll probably backfire..."

"Don't trust me?"

"It's not that it's just... well... Zavy has a date with Oliver Wood that day. They made the plans pretty much the first day of school, and I don't think that'll help your brother's emotions..."

Fred thought for a moment, "On the contrary, it might just be the thing we need. Seeing her with Oliver might make the beast inside him start thinking."

"I don't know," Brenden sounded dubious, "Just having Kyle talk to her was enough to set him off. How would her being on a date with Oliver make it any better?"

"Because mate, having her just talk with Kyle meant that he still had a chance. Having her date Oliver means that he's lost it, not to mention, she's not talking to him, so it'll make the blow hard, but he may just come around..."

"I still don't know. What if George doesn't go to Hogsmeade? And what if they don't see each other?"

"Look, George is miserable. The fun has been sucked right out of him. Do you know how many solo pranks and products I've been doing? I know Zavy won't admit it, but I'm sure she's hurt to. I want to try and help them at least be friends, even if they don't start going out."

Brenden sighed. Though Zavy had not come to him with her problem, he knew that she missed her friend. He nodded to Fred and agreed to help him with his plan. He just hoped that there would be no more pain after it was all done.

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

George awoke in his bed from his blasted dream. He was done being angry about Kyle nearly a month ago, and just desperately wanted Zavy to talk with him. He tried numerous times to apologize to her, but the closest he got to any reaction out of her is when they were in potions, the only time she HAD to talk to him. He didn't even fully understand what he had done wrong. The other thing that was bothering him, was how she managed to hurt him like this. They had only been friends for a year, he was able to get along fine without her before, so why was this such a problem? Why was he so upset? He most certainly did NOT fancy her, so what was it?

"Hey git, it's Halloween, are you going to lay in bed all day or are we going to go to Hogmeade and get something good?" asked Fred, kicking at George's bed.

"Yeah mate, don't want to waste away the whole day..." Lee put his two knuts in.

George groaned and threw his pillow at them, "All in good time mates, all in good time," was all he said before getting out of bed.

Breakfast in the Hall was crowded as George entered with Fred and Lee. It seemed like every single student was there, leaving almost no room for anyone else. The twins and Lee walked to where Angelina and Katie sat, near Alicia Spinnet, another Quidditch team member. George saw as Zavy sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table with her back towards the Gryffindor table. Unfortunately that meant she was facing the Slytherin table. The only other person to notice this was Kyle, who was staring at her with hope in his eyes. _Stupid git. _The look on his face suggested that she was still ignoring him, which was good news to George. The mysterious black eye was nearly healed up completely, making him look like he was wearing eye make up on his left side. Where did he get that from anyway? George wanted to personally thank the person that had done it, but the only explanation were clearly made up by him, so he didn't know where to start.

George resumed his observation of Zavy. She was nearly done her food, or so he thought as he could barely see her plate when Oliver Wood came up to her. They shared a smile and he offered hir hand out to her. She took it, stood, and left the Hall with him, assuming they were going to Hogsmeade. A wave of explosive anger went thru George. _What the fuck?_ Why was she going to Hogsmeade with Oliver? Why were they holding hands? What was going on between them? Why did he care? He looked over at Kyle, who was wearing an expression much like his own.

Fred stared at his brother, knowing he was angry after seeing the exchange between Zavy and Oliver. He expected this reaction out of George, and was prepared for the full blast of his anger. Fred was hoping his little scheme would work, and that George would finally admit his feelings and apologize or do something to at least re-establish their friendship. He missed having Zavy around, missing picking on her for being who she was, and missed her witty remarks on his person. He didn't talk to her much because he didn't want George to think he had betrayed him, and Zavy could easily understand that. _Hope this works...._

Zavy was quite pleased with herself, and was smiling triumphantly as she walked out of the Hall. She let her hand drop from Olivers once they were a good distance away. She could see the desired effect all over George's face, looking behind her with her mind. She wanted him to be mad, so that maybe he would leave her alone. It bothered her seeing him not care in potions. He seemed perfectly fine without her friendship, and that made her so upset, she was forever trying to find a way to get a rise out of him, without making it too obvious. Oliver was the ace up her sleeve, since only four people knew about their day, Brenden, Alex, Oliver and herself.

She refused to talk to Kyle ever again. At least George had apologized several times, but the new Slytherin had become like everyone else in his house in record time. He did not try to talk to her since she had broken his nose. Bloody prat deserved it to, after thinking she was the one that did wrong. She couldn't believe she was once friends with such a stuck up git. He was never like this back when they were kids, fuck, he blenged in Slytherin if this was his true self.

"Fancy a fag?" Oliver asked her, taking her out of her thoughts.

"Sure," she replied smiling. He took out a smoke and lit it, then handed it to her. He lit one for himself and they walked the path to Hogsmeade. They were careful to wait until they were off the grounds, seeing as Filch was collecting the permission forms from the third years. She was happy to be returning to the wizarding village, it was one of her favourite places to be. This would be the first time she attended without the twins, but she was sure Oliver would make up for that.

Upon arrival, they went to the candy shop, Honeydukes. Zavy walked around and re-stocked on all of her favourites, and picked out some new ones to try. She got what Brenden wanted as well, seeing as he was staying at the castle this trip. She brought her things up to the counter, getting out her money.

"I'll handle it love," said Oliver, coming up behind her.

"Oh, don't worry about it, I-" she was cut off.

"I insist," he told her, paying for it, and his things as well before she had another say in the matter. She smiled at him and took her bag of candies. They left there, walking down the street passed Zonko's. Zavy refused to go there, knowing that the twins would take this chance to stock up on their items for thier shop. She had no problem with Fred, it was his mirror image she wasn't interested in. They trailed into the Three Broomsticks for a spot of lunch, sitting in the most obvious spot.

George was walking with Fred and Brenden to Hogsmeade. He wanted to go, but didn't, but did, but didn't, unable to make up his mind. He knew that he's see Zavy with Oliver, and that thought angered him. The anger made him confused, and there was also a sadness thinking of what if they started dating? Why did he care? For some reason, Fred insisted on bringing Brenden, and that didn't help his emotions. They went into Zonko's, George hoping she would be there, but hoping she wouldn't.

"Why don't you get some of the things we need? I'll be over here on this end having a look," Fred suggested, walking with Brenden to the other end of the shop. Fred looked over at his brother, not really focusing on anything around him.

"Did you find her?" Fred asked Brenden once they were out of ear shot.

"Yeah. Their in the Three Broomsticks getting something to eat. You sure this'll work mate?" Brenden asked, not wanting to make things worse.

"Almost positive. Maybe if it doesn't work at first, it'll help it along the way."

"And if it completely back fires?"

"Then we either think of something else, or hope it fixes itself. Either way, something will happen," Fred replied gravely. He picked out the items he would need and then rejoined his brother with the rest. The three of them walked to the Three Broomsticks, Brenden stopping outside the door.

"I think I'm just going to head back. See you guys later," he told them, walking away. Fred stared after him for a moment, then udnerstood.

"Lunch?" asked Fred to George. He reply was a simple shrug. They entered the pub, immdediately spotting Zavy and Oliver. He glared in their direction, and walked with Fred to a table. They seemed oblivious of their presence, but that was normal for Zavy. They sat together, laughing and speaking, barely eating, but drinking. He did not take his eyes off them, did not pay attention to anything else that might be going on.

Fred was looking at him observe them. Zavy could easily know that George was there without looking at them, but Oliver was a different matter. They continued as if they weren't there, and if Oliver hadn't noticed them, then he didn't realize they were being watched. George looked as if he were ready to kill. Oh yeah, he definately fancied her, why else would he be acting like this?

Zavy was enjoying her time with the Scottish team captain. She felt eyes on her, and probed around to the source, so she wouldn't have to catch a gimplse of who it was physically. She spotted the twins sitting a distance behind her, and smiled a bit at the look on George's face. She felt a tad guilty, but was very touched he seemed to care so much. She would've loved to know what he was thinking, but did not want to get into the habbit of intruding upon people's heads without their permission.

"You're really very pretty Zavy," Oliver told her in all seriousness. She looked at him alarmed, not once recieving a compliment like this. Sure, her friends had joked around her, but he was sincere.

"Why thank you, young man," she told him jokingly. He smiled, and then did something that caught her completely off guard. He kissed her. The bells in Zavy's head were ringing as loud as they could. This was not right, was not supposed to be this way. She pulled back not long after, looking into his lusty eyes. This was not the man she was supposed to be with, he held no feeling for her besides his sex drive. She did not need to see in his mind to be able to tell, his face said it all. He tried for another, but Zavy shook her head slowly. They left shortly after, to who knows where.

George saw that kiss. Anger exploded all through him, and he stood up. Fred stood up as well, ready to head off any rash decision he might make. How DARED he kiss her! Right in front of him no doubt! Who did he think he was? George wanted to run after them and thrash him a good one, to make him realize he was not fit to have her, that he did not deserve her. George sat back down and drained his pint. He ordered another, and drained that one just as fast. Fred watched as his brother drank. At least this way, he was trying to calm down, but did not know what he could expect next.

Zavy went to breakfast the next day, thinking about George. Her date Oliver had not been bad, it was fun, except for the times he tried to kiss her after sneaking in the first one. Sure, he was a nice bloke, a little obsessed with his sport, but she knew that he did not belong with her. It was one of those feellings that usually turned out right, and she was going to follow it.

When she entered the Hall, it seemed as if every student was looking at her. Whispered echoed in her ears and she desperately searched for Brenden. He was either not awake yet, or had gone somewhere, because he was not present here. Sighing, she walked to the end of Gryffindor table and took her seat. Girls were staying at her with envy, and boys were staring at her with longing. The younger kids didn't seem to know what was going on, but looked in her direction anyway, desperately trying to fit in with their commrades.

"Hello love, fancy seeing you here," Oliver greeted as he sat down beside her.

"You think? I'm only apart of Gryffindor and this IS the place to eat..." she trailed, highly suspecting all this fuss had something to do with him.

He laughed, "Very true."

George woke up after that damn dream that he had every damn morning. Fred had appeared shortly after, planning on being with George as this day progressed. He had just heard the rumors regarding Oliver and Zavy. In fact, he had heard the rumor from Oliver himself, telling Angelina about it. He knew that Oliver was lying, Zavy wouldn't just decide to start dating him after yesterday. He had seen him try and sneak in another kiss after the first one, though he was not sure George had seen it. He was not sure George had seen anything after the first display, and was not sure on how his reaction would be when he heard this rumor. In all truth, Fred was waiting for Zavy's reaction to it, if she indeed knew about what was going on.

Fred waited patiently for George to finish getting ready to leave the dorm. The longer he took, the better, hoping there wouldn't be many people upon their arrival. When George was ready, the made their way down to the Hall so he could eat and Fred could be there to keep control of things. Unfortunately, sitting in her usual spot for food was Zavy, and right beside her was Oliver. George glared at them and walked passed, behind her back so she wouldn't see them. George sat down with a thump and gathered some food, not sure if he was into eating it or not.

"Did you hear about Oliver and Zavy?" said a group of second years beside them.

"Hear what?" George asked them curiously.

"Their dating, boyfriend and girlfriend. Oliver said she's a great shag!" but George stopped listening at that and whipped his head around to stare at them. He was angry that she would be so inconsiderate towards him like this, angry that she had moved on. But why? What did it matter? He knew one thing, he was skiving off all lessons today. He did not want to be around her right now, and to prove a point, left the hall.

"I hope your happy," he snarled at her on the way out. Zavy looked at him confused and hurt by the tone of his voice. What did he mean? She looked at Fred for some kind of understanding, but he just looked at her sadly and followed his brother. George almost burst thru the door of his dorm and flopped on his bed. He was mad, but more than that, he was hurt deeply by this information. He heard Fred sit noisly on his bed, making his presence known. George looked over at him.

"What?" he asked, feeling more depressed for some reason.

"Just wondering what's on your mind," Fred replied evasively. He didn't want to tell George, that would further induce denial.

"What's on my mind? You want to know what's on my bleeding mind? I'm angry you stupid git. I'm angry that she's with Oliver Wood of all people, that she won't talk to me, that she's playing games with me, that she's so inconsiderate of my feelings!"

"And what are your feelings George? What about this is really bothering you?" Fred asked.

"I don't fancy her you clot, now stop insisting upon it!"

"Who are you trying to convince? Me? Or you?" George opened his mouth to retaliate, but realization struck him like a bludger. He WAS upset that she wasn't with him, and he finally understood that he DID indeed fancy her. He's fancied her since day one, since he had first seen her on the train, since they had become friends after she humiliated Lockhart. He'd been so upset over the summer in Egypt when he couldn't see her, so upset when she had yelled a month ago, upset that she was with another man, upset that he had missed his chance to be with her...

"She's so much better than him. Funny, witty, smart, beautiful, athletic, funny... She shouldn't be with him, she should be..."

"With you?" Fred supplied. This was a big step for George.

"Yeah... yeah with me, where she belongs, with some one who... loves her..." there, he had said it. A wave of relief swept over him, now that he had caged the beast, he was depressed. If only he had realized this sooner, things would've been different.

"It's about time," was all Fred said before leaving their dorm, sensing his twin wanted to be alone.

Zavy was in potions, waiting for George, but not wanting her anticipation to be known. She saw red hair and looked, but it was only Fred. Zavy was confused. Where was he? Why was he so upset with her? That question plagued her since he left the Hall earlier this morning. She looked at his mirror image for a clue as to what was going on. Fred looked back at her with sad eyes, then began to focus on his potion with Alex. Zavy sighed and started on her potion as well. She was chopping the ingredients when the door in the dungeons opened. She looked up and saw George. He looked at her with sadness. There she was, the woman he had lost because he was being a stupid git. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes a deep blue, then turned her attention back to what she was doing.

"You're late Weasley," said Snape, walking over to their station. George shrugged. "Well, since you don't seem to care, you can sit there and watch everyone else work, and you will recieve no marks for the perfect potion your partner will most likely brew with her mind." Zavy glared at him.

"But sir-"

"Detention Mr. Weasley."

George narrowed his eyes, then looked away from Snape. He stared at Zavy, who looked like she was having trouble with her potion. Even with them not talking they still managed to make a good team with potions, fallen into a habbit, a full proof routine. His hands itched to help her, but he knew Snape was watching her, and knew that he was testing her, to see if she could indeed do it all alone. _You can do this, _he silently cheered her on.

Zavy had to admit she was having trouble. George had made it easier by having everything ready, and with everyone around her distracting her, and George's eyes on her, she was finding it difficult to concentrate. She had to think of a way to put her mind back into the potion making mind, so that she would not suffer and fall into Snape's trap. An idea formed in her head. She concentrated on her surroundings, and then blocked them out. Her mental radio turned on and started to play her favourite songs. All distractions finally gone, her potion started to come together nicely, and she was able to make up for beginning to ruin it. At the end of class, a perfect potion had come out, much to Snape's dismay. She was disappointed when she went to collect her things and George had vacated. She thought it was maybe time for a smoke.

She was at her usual spot near the tree line of the Forbidden Forest, near the big boulder smoking a joint. The black shaggy dog had accompanied her, like he usually did.

"Hello friend, how fares your hunt?" she greeted him, taking a seat.

"The hunt is displeasing. One senses your are distressed," the dog replied.

"One is correct, however, one suggests you may not understand the strange feelings of the man things."

"I am old, I can understand more than you think young lady."

Zavy looked at the dog suspiciously. She had never encountered an animal that could talk so human like. Curiously, she pushed her mind out towards him. She saw in that troubled mind torture, in a cell, with dementors. She thought briefly back to the dementors thoughts on how they had no effect on him. She saw the great escape from that cell and how he had morphed into the dog. She gasped upon realization. She was talking to the notorious Sirius Black!

"Oh my god, you're Sirius Black!" she exclaimed, standing up. She was not afraid, but wanted to be on guard. She watched as the dog tranfigured in front of her eyes into the suposed murderer.

"And if you've figured that out, you must be Zahava DelCotta. I must say, I'm happy it was you I was talking to, and not someone else," he replied, stretching his neck.

"But what are you doing here?"

"I'm searching for someone, the real culprit. He's here, in the school somewhere."

"What?"

"You have the power to see into minds? Then I will tell you my story, and you can decide if you wish to believe it or not. You know the story on Lily and James Potter?"

She nodded.

"They were sent into hiding, under the Fidelius Charm. I was their secret keeper, the one who knew where they were. I am also Harry's god father, still to this day. Now, what most people don't know, is that Dumbledore, your god father, decided that it would be best if they switched the secret keeper to Peter Pettigrew, that way things would be less suspicious."

"Less suspicious?"

"There were four of us back at Hogwarts. James, Remus, Peter and myself. We were the mauraders, and could easily give the Weasley twins a run for thier money. We knew everything about the school, and even created a map as to all the secret locations, enchanted it to that-"

"I know of the map. I am friends with at least one of the twins."

"Right. The four of us were always together, Remus being more of a rule follower than breaker, but James was my best mate. Even after Hogwarts, we were never separated. Lily Evans at the time was at the school, and James fancied her. So I'm sure you know, they got together, got married, and had Harry. Since my friendship with James was no secret, Dumbledore felt it was best that the secret keeper be changed, and it made sense, but I had a bad feeling about it.

"Sure enough, the Dark Lord struck. James and Lily were dead, and all that was left was little Harry. Pettigrew had sold them out. By the time I got to the house, Hagrid was there, holding the baby. I asked him if I could see my god son, but since no one had knew about the change, he assumed I was the one that told You Know Who where the Potters were hidden. I did the only thing I knew to do, I gave the half giant my flying motor bike, begging him to take the boy to safety.

"Blinded by my anger, I went after the little rat. I cornered him in an alley, just about to take my revenge, but he created and explosion, cut off his finger and turned himself into a rat. It wasn't long before the Ministry had arrived and took me into custody. There was no evidence that could prove I was innocent, especially when they found Pettigrew's finger. They sent me to Azkaban, where I stayed for twelve years. I escaped from Azkaban, skinny enough to fit thru the bars. The dementors had no effect on me-"

"Because you were innocent, so there was no horror to feed off of. I saw into a dementors mind at the beginning of school, I also saw how it was frustrated with you."

"Truly? I didn't know the dementors felt other emotions besides despair. Well that is my tale. You can choose to believe it or not, but one way or another, I'm going to get Pettigrew."

"How do you know I won't just turn you into Dumbledore?"

"Because once you found out my existance, you would've apparated already and reported my animagous form."

"True. Well, I really don't know how I'd be able to help you."

"No need Zahava-"

"Zavy"

"Zavy then. I have Crookshanks on it, and that's probably better than you physically getting caught anyway."

Zavy thought a moment. "Well, I'm sure things will come out good inthe end. I wish I could help you, but I'm supposed to be in hiding. Since I know everyone's on the hunt for you, I don't think I really need to erase your memory or make you take the oath. But I probably should get back soon, I'm skiving off one of my classes."

"Is there anything I can help you with? I can tell there is something troubling you."

Zavy sighed, "Just some issues. I'm in a fight with a friend-"

"The other Weasley twin I presume?"

"Yeah. But he's really angry at me and I don't know what I did. I mean, I know I yelled and everything, but I don't even remember why I got mad in the first place. And people are whispering about me, so it's really just frustrating."

"Have you bothered to try to talk to him?"

"No, and don't suggest I do either, I'd rather he come to me."

Sirius smiled knowingly, "Sounds to me as if you fancy the lad."

"Absolutely not. He's just a dear friend, and I miss hanging out with him. But I'm sure I'll figure out what's going on sooner or later. I better get back though, happy hunting," and she apparated back. Sirius disappeared back into the forest, changing his shape back to the dog.

* * *

thanks to spanieren and kakashi92 :)

feedback??


	18. Chapter 18

Zavy was sitting in the Hall by herself. She and George still weren't talking, but she highly suspected it was because she wouldn't talk to him. The past month he had been silently watching her. She dared to look in his eyes once and saw a sorrow feeling in it, and a deep sense of longing. She did not look at him again, horribly confused by this feeling. She could not even sort out her own feelings. The thought of Sirius Black, who she had just found out was her friend the shaggy black dog, constantly suggesting she fancied him made her teeth ache. She did not fancy George, they were just good friends, best mates, or at least, they were. Everytime the thought came up, she would think back to last year in the common room when they had bumped into each other. How the electric shock when thru her body at the touch of his skin.

She shook her head. Even if she did fancy George in the slightest, she wouldn't ruin the friendship that was established and then lost. Besides, someone like George who had the eye of every lady in the school, even some Slytherins would not be interested in her. You never become friends first, it never works out anyway. But since she DID NOT fancy him, that wasn't the issue. The problem was, they weren't friends and she was hurt deeply by it. But she did not know how to approach him on the subject, especially with the recent news on her new friend Sirius.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the fat lady's portrait that guards the Gryffindor common room was slashed. The lady confirmed that it was Sirius Black who had indeed come to attack her and broken into the commons. The only thing that was confusing, even to Zavy, was that Ron's bed was in shambles and not Harry's. It seemed to be what students were talking about for at least a week before the whispers had returned. Zavy knew that Sirius didn't make a mistake, but she didn't understand why the thought the enemy was in the Gryffindor tower. She had not seen anyone suspicious around the school and certainly not in her place of dwelling. So what was he up to?

"Knut for your thoughts?" she heard a familiar voice in front of her. She looked up at her visitor who had just sat down. George? No, it was not George.

"Don't worry about it. Y'alright Fred?" she replied. She was mentally slapping herself for thinking it was George. She had been doing that since he was angry with her a month ago. Any flash of red, she looked up, but it was every other Weasley and not the one she was hoping for.

"Good, good. Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Is it true about you and Oliver? Are you two and item?"

She nearly choked on her drink, "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you and Oliver dating? Geeze woman, do I have to spell it out for you?" What the fuck? Who had said this? Where was he getting this rubbish from?

"Who the fuck told you this?" she asked, her eyes flashing red.

"I heard it straight from the horse's mouth. He said that after your date a month ago that you two were shagging by the end of it, that you wanted him so badly you begged him for it. He's been coming up with all kinds of stories after you two are seen in public and then disappear, says you just can't get enough of him and that he agreed to be your boyfriend after the first time you two went out..." Fred trailed off. "You didn't know any of this?" she must've been really cut off from all the gossip with him and George gone. However this meant one thing, she was not indeed with Oliver Wood, nor was she playing games with George. She looked down the table at him, her eyes a steely grey. "Zavy? Are you in there?" but she ignored him. Wordlessly, she walked over to where the captain sat, just as George was entering the Hall.

"What's going on?" George asked his brother, seeing Zavy walk away from him.

"I think she's going to kill him," Fred replied, not taking his eyes off her.

"Who?"

"Shh!"

Zavy approached the beast, unbelievably mad. There were little fire's burning in her palms, and she was ready to strike, no matter what he said. How dare this selfish bastard go around spreading these lies about her. She had thought he was different, and never once considered it had gotten this bad. He had only kissed her once, and tried multiple seperate occasions. The story was all wrong, he was the one begging for more from her, and she politely shot him down not wanting to hurt his feelings. But damn his feelings! Here he was spreading lies about her, not once considering how this might affect her.

"What are you playing at?" she demanded of him when she reached him, chatting happily with his friends.

"What?" he asked, confused and obviously trying to look good in front of his mates.

"What the fuck is your problem? How dare you spread rumors about me like this!"

"I don't have a bleedin' idea of what your going on about love."

"Oh really? How about the time we DIDN'T shag? Or all the other times I NEVER begged your for more?" she was livid. Here stood the reason George was mad at her, the reason that George had said such a confusing sentence to her.

"But darling, I never said that!" he looked appalled that she would think such nonsence.

"Fred told me everything you miserable git!"

"Well Fred's a liar!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! Do you really think I'll believe you over my best mate?"

"I thought you weren't speaking to him? Bloody hell, you don't even stay in the same room with them if you can help it!"

"That doesn't mean they would lie to me about something this important! You better stay the fuck away from me! Don't even utter a single thought in my direction, or I will turn you into a toad, permanently!" she threatened, trying as hard as she could to extinguish the fire in her palms. She turned to walk away from him, hoping he got it thru his dimwitted head.

"That's not what you said to me the other night," he said, laughing with his mates. Zavy squeezed her fists so tight that blood started to trickle down her fingers. In a swift move, she spun around and back handed him with her fist, causing him to fall onto the table. He shot up instantly, as all eyes were on the two of them. His nose was bleeding, clearly broken, and a shiner was beginning to form on his left side.

"You stupid little whore!" he screamed and slapped her across the face. Zavy's head turned to the side for a moment. The twins dashed to the scene, but was cut off by the crowd forming around them. They did what they could to try and push thru to get to her but to no avail. Zavy spit out a wad of blood and then turned her head to look back at him with furious eyes, flashing back an forth from red to grey. He visibly flinched at the sight of her and pulled out his wand, ready for anything to come his way. Zavy let out her thought and his wand went flying into the crowd somewhere.

"Look, Zavy, love, I'm sorry, please. I didn't mean it, I was just being stupid," he said in a way of defense, holding his hands up in defeat, surrendering, "You don't have to do this," he begged. She glared at him, not caring what he had to say. She opened her palm, and threw the fireball that had been trying desperately to get out. It hit him square in the chest and started to burn his robes. He screamed, as the fire was on him.

"Augementi!" shouted Professor Snape, barging thru the crowd of students, with McGonagall behind him. Oliver was unharmed by the flames, but his robes were crisp and smoking. "Well. Look what we have here," he said, wand pointed straight at her.

"Miss DelCotta what is the matter you?! You could've killed him!" McGonagall shrieked and demanded of the girl. She turned to look at her head of house, the same steel grey in her eyes.

"No professor, the flames were just directed at his clothes. The heat was an illusion, and the fire would've gone out once it touched his flesh," she explained calmly, as if she were at Sunday tea.

"Well I'm afraid we can't ignore this, it's very serious what you've just done. I'm sorry, but whatever your reasoning is for this, I'm afraid it's off to the Headmaster with you Miss DelCotta. I'll inform him of your presence right away."

"Yes ma'am," she left, pushing past the twins who stared at the scene that had just happened. They knew she was dangerous if she unleashed her powers, but wow.

"Does this mean that her and Oliver broke up?" George turned to Fred.

"No George. They were never dating in the first place, it was all a lie. I had just confirmed everything with her, and all I told her was news to her ears. She instantly went for the kill, and I was caught off guard. I thought she would've at least heard about his remarks..." Fred replied, trailing off and looking back at the scene. McGongall was helping him past the crowd and to the hospital wing no doubt.

"That fucking prat!"

Fred nodded, "And it doens't help that he slapped he across the face either."

George was furious with him about that, "I wish I could've got to him, but she seemed to have him by the balls. Did you see the way he begged her to leave him alone?"

"That was bloody brilliant. Now everyone will know not to mess with one Zahava DelCotta... or to believe the lies of Oliver Wood."

George nodded, "Do you really think she meant to kill him though?"

Fred shook his head, "No, I think she knew exactly what she was doing, and I think it worked like a charm. Zavy's reasonable, she won't do anything too rash when she's angry, and by Merlin, I have never seen her like this. She's usually so easy going, I didn't even know she could get like this."

George thought for a moment, "I've been a real git to her haven't I?"

Fred nodded at his twin, "Indeed. You'll have to do something about that. You gave her shit for something she didn't even know about. I think she was about ready to start talking to you until this mess happened."

"I just don't know how to come about it. I definately don't want to end up like poor Wood over there."

"I'm sure you'll find a way. I'm the better looking one, which means you're supposed to have the brains. Unfortunately for you, I think I got both, but it's alright mate, you have the advantage of looking like me," Fred beamed at him.

"Oh we need to have a long discussion about that mate. But first, I think I need to do something about the woman I love getting slapped in the face by a man."

"Leave Wood alone George, I think he got what he deserved."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean we can't set something up for when he recovers... right?"

Fred and George grinned wickedly at each other, and left the Hall to prepare for such a performance.

Zavy decided she would go for a smoke first, maybe have a drink to go with her joint this time. She was angry, so very angry, and had to calm down. She apparated once no one was looking and went to a different spot, incase Oliver decided to rat her out. She conjured a decent sized joint and began to inhale it deeply, letting the relaxing sensation flow thru her body.

"This is different than usual," said Sirius in his animal form, walking up to her.

"I had to take a precaution," she explained, taking a long drink of her vodka.

"Trouble?"

"Yeah. That stupid git Oliver Wood was spreading lies about me and him in an imaginary sac. It had been going on for a month or so, and I just found out today. So I punched him, and he slapped me, then I set fire to his robes and that's when Snape and McGonagall intervened."

"Ahh, Snivellous. He's always there to ruin the fun. Fire is a serious injury though Zavy. You could've seriously hurt the lad."

"I had complete control over it. Once it touched his flesh, it would dissolve and leave him unharmed. I just wanted him to be sure that he knew shouldn't be messing with me," she explained fiercely, lighting her smoke.

"I suppose. I'm sure a thing like that would scare me as well. Your powers truly are amazing, it makes sense you must be in hiding. So your procrastinating your visit to the Headmaster I take it?"

"I don't want to be angry at my god father, he's just doing his job. I'd rather calm down a bit before I go to see him. I'm sure he knows anyway, nothing seems to get by him, except of course you my furry friend."

Sirius lolled his tongue to one side, and Zavy understood that to be his way of laughing in that particular form. She had figured out a long time ago that if canine's tried to speak english, they would bite of their tongues in the process, so she learned how to speak their language in order to communicate with them. She did not bother to ask him about the incident a few weeks ago, knowing he would not tell her. She instead bid him farewell and apparated just outside of Dumbledore's office to face the music. She heard voices on the other side of the door and patiently waited until she could enter.

"I'm sorry Albus, but we'll have to behead the beast. Lucious is very influential and my hands are tied," said a strange old man.

"I understand Cornelius, but is the beast in question not entitled to a hearing?" her god father asked. Zavy understood Cornelius to be the Minister for Magic.

"I'll see what I can do. Ministry laws do require them to perform a hearing, but Lucious will not be able to stand for it. The case will be lost, but I'm sure it will soften the blow on the game keeper," the Minister replied.

"Excuse me a moment," said Dumbledore, and then the door to his office opened, "Please come in Zahava."

Zavy was shocked, but did as her god father commanded and walked into the room. She looked at the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, and then took a seat at Dumbledore's desk.

"Minister, I dont' believe you've met my god daughter Zahava DelCotta have you?" Dumbledore asked the weary man.

"Del-DelCotta you say? Merlin's beard, young lady, how do you do?" the Minister stuttered at her.

"Zahava, this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic."

"Good day," she said, nodding her head towards him as politely as she could manage. Thankfully, her bad habbit and methods of calming down had helped that enormously.

"Young lady, I have heard to much about you, and I am absolutely thrilled that you and your brother are still walking among us. Not to worry, I have been placed under the oath, so your secret is safe with me," he assured her. She smiled, not really knowing what to say to this man. "Well Albus, we'll continue this conversation at a more suitable time. I'll send word when all the arrangements have been made. Farewell," he departed to the fireplace, disappearing into the green flames. The room was silent for a few moments. Zavy avoided her god fathers eye, and put her attention the the middle aged phoenix.

"I was not aware you could control fire in that manner," he said pleasantly to start the conversation.

"Me neither," she replied, keeping her eyes on Fawkes.

"I assume you had reasons for your actions?" he asked, eyeing the red mark on her cheek.

"He was spreading lies about me for a month, and then he slapped me when I punched him after he denied it. After that, I just... lost control. I didn't really want to hurt him, I just wanted him to fear me, so that he would learn that I am a force that will not back down because he thinks he's so great and everyone else bows down to him," she explained, looking at him with sincere eyes. Dumbledore was not really interested. He had heard the rumors and was surprised it took her this long to retaliate.

"And how fares your relationship with George Weasley?" he asked, catching her off guard. Zavy did not know why such things surprised her, he did this a lot. One would think that she should be used to it by now, but she was not.

"Come again?"

"Are you two finally talking again, or still avoiding each other?"

"Honestly, no disrespect, but why is everyone in my business about that? What happened is between me and him, so I'd appreciate it if everyone sods off," she explained in a pleasant tone, but with a hint of steel.

Dumbledore smiled, "As you wish. Is there anything you wish to ask me?"

Zavy pondered a moment, "What were you and the Minister talking about?"

"Ahh. Well, I'm not sure if you heard, being oblivious to rumours, but did you hear about how Buckbeak the Hippogriff had injured young Mr. Malfoy?"

"No, but let me guess. The pansy took is so far that his father's trying to get the poor creature killed?"

"Correct. Poor Hagrid is so upset about all of this, and I'm trying my best to spare Buckbeak's life."

"I'm sure you can manage something."

He smiled fondly at her, "Now unfortunately, I will need to punish you, since it would be unfair to let you go free. Since your intentions were good, I will place your three detentions with Professor Lupin. You might as well have a lesson out of it," he told her, dismissing her from his office. Zavy smiled, _what a dear old man._

Brenden was waitng for her at the entrance of his god fathers office, standing at the end of the stairs. He was surprised about what happened earlier, and was kind of disappointed that she had all the fun, again. It wasn't long until she approached with a smile on her face, metting him down there.

"Hello," she greeted pleasantly.

"I heard about your little stunt earlier today," he said carefully, caught off guard by her mood.

"I figured you might, it was rather brilliant," she replied, walking with him.

"Let me see your face," he instructed, stopping. She turned to face him and he saw the red mark on her cheek from where he had hit her. A rage grew in Brenden. How dare that fucker touch his sister.

"Don't worry bro, I got 'im good."

"I didn't think you'd be out for blood though."

"I wasn't looking for death, I just wanted him to fear me."

"Well then, I'm sorry for doubting you. What's your sentence?"

"Detention with Lupin. So I'm going to learn how to conjure a patronus."

"Lucky you. But if you didn't intend to kill him, why did you use something as dangerous as fire?"

"I had the fire under my control. I wanted it to burn his robes, but disappear when it touched flesh. The hear from it was all illusion, I had been working on it for some time now."

"Brilliant. And you really didn't have a clue about those whispers?"

"Nope."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"You knew?!"

"Yes, I knew from day one, but I thought you did as well, thats why I stayed out of your business, I know how you can get sometimes. I did 'hex' a couple people for taking it to far though."

"My hero."

"I'm sorry Z."

"S'alright. Just make sure you keep me updated on all the castle gossip from now on."

"Deal"

"Where are you off to?"

"Back to the commons. I suggest you do the same."

"Right. Later bro," said Zavy as she walked toward the direction of Gryffindor tower. The blasted knight was not letting her in, so she forced the portrait open with her mind. She walked in and the common room went silent, every eye on her. She stopped so they could take her in better. George walked up to her, and she froze. He stood in front of her for a few moments, gazing at her. She felt her knees weaken, his proximity very close. _What is this?_ He looked at her cheek that was starting to take the shade of purple and grazed it with his fingers. She shied away from his touch, wincing at the pain, yet feeling a fire inside her. _What is going on?_ He let his hand drop, anger on his face. Her heart hammered in her chest and once she found her feet, she bolted up to her dorm and out of sight.

Fred had watched the exchange with hopeful eyes. George just stood there, staring at the place she once stood, angry. Fred was very upset with their team captain for laying a hand on his best mate, and it took every fibre in his body to stay put rather than bolt down to the hospital wing and show him what happens to those who fuck with the Weasley twins. Zavy had scared him though. He had never known she could thirst for blood like that, not that he blamed her. Oliver was the one to aggrivate her to the point where she broke his nose, and then he hit her, a woman. If there was rule he always followed, it was never to harm a woman, no matter if she was beating you with cast iron pots and pans.

"Think that was a good sign mate?" Lee asked Fred, staring at George who was still frozen in place.

"I'd say so. I just don't know how this will affect our Quidditch. Wood will most likely take it out on us, seeing as he knows I'm the one who told her everything," Fred replied, the thought just occuring to him. George had finally returned to sit with them. His eyes bore into the fire, deep in thought.

"Oi, what's got your knickers in a twist?" asked Fred.

"Just, everything that's happened..." George trailed.

"What do you plan to do about it mate?"

"Well, let's just say, if a bludger happens to be heading towards Wood, I won't exactly go out of my way to stop it," he told them both with his wicked grin. Fred smiled back as well. _Thank Merlin, he's back._


	19. Chapter 19

There was a another Hogsmeade trip today, seeing as the holidays were only two days away. There was excitement everywhere, as students were preparing last minute gifts to bring home to their families. Fred and George were particularly excited about this trip, seeing as Zonko's had new products out. They were one of the first people out the door and on their way to the wizarding village. Zavy decided to stay in, not wanting to be around anyone and getting involved in the big crowds. She was actually looking forward to catching up on some reading and finishing her homework that she had been putting off since she re started her lessons in the healing arts. It was decided that while Oliver was there, she would be banned until he made his recovery.

Her progress in the field was coming along really well. She had learned all the types of plants she would need and taken a note on every potion she would need to learn about. Her potion brewing was really well, so she was sure to ace the O.W.L for it and move on to N.E.W.T. Professor Snape may have been a prat, but he couldn't deny her skill was beyond any he had seen, himself included. Ever since last year, she knew she wanted to at least know everything it would take to be a Healer, but didn't want to work in a hospital.

So today would simply just be a studying day. Maybe even go on a crazy adventure in one of her books that she hadn't read in a while. She couldn't focus though. For some strange reason, her thoughts always found their way back to George. They weren't speaking, but not because of anger. The reason was unknown to both of them, however, they didn't try to avoid each other like before. Instead it seemed like everywhere Zavy went, he would suddenly appear, like he had known she was going to be there. He made sure she knew he was there, talking loudly, or blowing something up. She thought it was cute, but wasn't sure why they still weren't talking. One of them had to swallow their pride maybe? But who?

She wished life weren't so confusing, that she was just a kid again, with her parents and Brenden, living happily without all these complications. She forced her attention back to her spell book, trying to force all thought away and concentrate. She was going to learn how to mend broken bones soon, and she wanted to be sure she had all the information before attempting to try it out. She was actually very excited, she would be going with Madam Pomphrey to St. Mungo's to work on real cases for a day. Dumbledore was thrilled she was taking an interest in something. It wasn't long after the common room was empty that Harry had come down from the boy's dormitories.

"Hello Harry," she greeted pleasantly.

"Hi Zavy. You're not in Hogsmeade today?" he replied, taking a seat near her.

"No, not today. Just don't feel like it ya know?"

"Um. Not really."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you can't go. It's not really much after being there a while."

"Well, actually, Fred and George kind of gave me an early Christmas present."

"Let me guess. If you're not bummed about not going to Hogsmeade, they either showed you the passage way to get there, or just gave you the map."

Harry blinked twice, shocked, "Y-Yeah. How did you know?"

"I DID hang out with them for a year or so... remember?" she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Right. What happened with that anyway?"

"I'm not really sure..."

"Well, word is, Geor-"

"Harry!" said Ginny, coming to sit with the two of them.

"Y'alright Ginny," Zavy greeted, mildly curious as to what Harry was going to say about George. She had a feeling it was quite important.

George was in a shop not to far from Zonko's, looking for the perfect gift. Everyone else was pretty easy, but with his issues, he did not know what to get Zavy. He wanted to get something that would show he cared, but not give away his feelings, he still wasn't sure how she stood with him about even just a friend. Since Oliver had gotten out of the hospital wing, he had made sure to be in the places she was, incase something else were to happen. He couldn't help but be protective of her, he loved the girl. Since he had realized this nearly two months ago, he stayed out of her way, and was waiting for her to come to him. There were a couple of times that he thought she might, but shied away. Honestly, it was killing him to see her and not have her, or talk to her, but he would do what needed to be done.

Fred stood with Lee some distance away, bored. He couldn't help George shop for a meaningful gift, cause he already got her one that was very Fred-like. He was greatful that George's sense of humor and adventure were back, but bloody hell, did he have to be like this all the time? When was it going to end? Fred knew that he couldn't push them anymore, it was time for them to make their own moves, but he wished they would just hurry up and get on with it. There was no tension like there used to be, but they still didn't speak, like one was waiting for the other.

"Would you hurry it up?" Fred asked him impatiently.

"Bloody hell, why are girls so hard to shop for?" George asked, ignoring his question. Fred rolled his eyes.

"I'll meet you at Zonko's," he said, leaving the shop. He walked with Lee to Zonko's seeing as George was useless right now.

"He's really hung up on her eh?" Lee said when they entered the shop.

"Yeah, and it's getting annoying. At least he's not whining about her like before," Fred replied, looking at the new products that had come out. The shop was packed with students, and it was hard to move around. Productivity with their business was doing well, they would hopefull have some products to start testing and selling by next year, if not, the year after.

"Think they'll even start talking again soon?" Lee asked, gathering a few things for himself.

"I hope so mate, I really hope so."

Zavy knocked on the door to Professor Lupin's office. She wanted to focus her mind on something other than George, so she thought maybe another lesson in conjuring a patronus would be just the thing. It wasn't long before he answered the door.

"Zavy!" he greeted, moving aside for her to enter, "What brings you my way?"

"I was just wondering if you were busy sir," she replied hopeful.

"Not at all, was there something you wanted?"

"Yes actually, I was wondering if there was time for another lesson maybe?"

Lupin pondered a moment, "I believe so. Come out to the classroom, we'll start in a moment."

She walked down to the place where they usually practiced. She knew about Harry's lessons as well, but his required a bouggart, and seeing as how a creature like that wouldn't work with her, she had to use her imagination against it. At first it had been hard. She had to concentrate on her surroundings and think of her happiest memories. The difference with a "spell" like this, was instead of taking the energy from all around her, it was a creation, and would come from within her. The only time this really applied was when she would have to create something, a flower, a smoke, things like that. A patronus was different than an object, it was apart of the being, an energy containing happy emotions to drive the despair away. She had tried with some success and got a few wisps of white energy out, but not a full animal like Lupin's.

"Alright now," Lupin announced his arrival, "last session went really well, but I think your not getting to a happier memory. What was it you thought of last time?"

"My first time at Hogwarts sir," she replied.

"Hm. While that is a good memory, is there maybe something different you could try? Something a little happier?"

"I'll try it out," she told him and began to think, digging in her memories. She thought to her childhood, when her parents were still alive and they used to go on trips to the zoo. She decided to go with that one, then concentrated hard. A few wisps of energy came out, but no form. Zavy sighed and sat down. Lupin handed her some chocolate, "I'm sorry sir."

"It's alright Zavy, you're not supposed to learn this for at least another year. What did you think of this time?"

"Back when my parents and brother travelled to go to the zoo, one of our first family trips."

"Perhaps that is more sad, seeing as how their gone."

"Maybe, but I didn't know what else."

"What about the times you've spent with your friends?"

Zavy thought a moment, "That might work," she stood up to try again. She thought of her friends, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron. But they weren't really close, so she moved on. Brenden, Lee, Angelina, Katie, Alex... They were closer, but not quite there yet. She thought of Sirius, but he was definately not the one. She then thought about the twins, Fred and George. A smile spread across her face as she thougth about George, his smile, his eyes, his hair, that one time she had seen him without a shirt, his soothing voice, his jokes... and a warm feeling spread thru her body. She concentrated on them, and released her will. Traces of energy started to flow from her and then what appeared in front of her was a wolf, the form of her patronus.

"Excellent!" Lupin beamed at her. She stared at the creature, amazed at what she was seeing. She then concentrated on herself again, and took the same form, only she was more solid. Lupin gasped and stared at her, astonished at what he was seeing. He was unaware she could change form like that. The patronus wolf disappeared into her, and she resumed her regular form.

"You were right Professor, the times with my friends were the best," she smiled at him.

"I thought it might. Being able to do this has shown great improvement, and it will only get easier the more you practise," Lupin congragulated her.

"Thank you Professor, you're an excellent teacher."

"Thanks my dear, it means a lot to hear that from a student."

Zavy pondered her next question, one she wanted to ask since their first lesson, "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering... Why did the bogguart take no form when I was up against it?"

"I'm not really sure. Yours was strange, seeing the creature for what it was, maybe suggesting that you have no fears."

"But I do, that's the thing."

"The only other strange thing I saw was Harry's. I had expected it to turn into Voldemort, but it instead turned into a dementor, suggesting he only feared fear itself. But if yours was just the creature and nothing else, then perhaps your fears aren't strong enough to render you incapable of thought. I don't think you fear balloons that blow up, seeing as your first reaction to it was to laugh."

"It's just weird. I thought of many things I feared, but then reasoned that it would not be so bad that I couldn't live with it."

"I'll be honest, it is unusual. The only explanation I can offer is that you have no fear. I'm sorry I cannot be more helpful, but there is no other record of anyone else seeing the true form of a bogguart, so it's hard to explain what it means."

"I understand. Thank you Professor, I think I'll head to grab something to eat now. It takes a lot of strength to create."

Dinner time was always the busiest in the Hall. Zavy sat with Alex in her favourite spot, at the end of Gryffindor table. It was either there or the Ravenclaw table with Brenden. Alex had just got back from the wizard village with Kyle, and was telling Zavy about her trip and the things she got for everyone. She also asked what kind of thing her brother would like. Zavy rolled her eyes at the girl. Alex could go on forever about her brother, and it usually was very sickening. No, of course she did not think her brother's amethyst eyes were sexy, ew. Alex had to be told five times a day to shut up about such things, but they usually laughed about it in the end. She saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye, and she turned in the direction. She saw Fred, George and Lee walking into to Hall and taking a seat near the other end. Zavy's stomach did a flip, sending a weird feeling thru her body. _What?_

"Zavy!" her attention was quickly turned away and on to her brother that came sprinting into the Hall and taking a seat beside Alex.

"Hey good lookin'," Alex greeted him. He gave her a quick kiss and then turned to his sister.

"You won't believe what just happened today," he said.

"You two finally started dating?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

He blushed, "Well yeah, a couple hours ago I'd say, but that's not it."

"Thanks for telling me prat!" Zavy stuck her tongue out at Alex.

"Must've slipped my mind..." Alex trailed, smiling at her.

"Anyway!" Brenden intervened, stealing the attention again, "It's about Harry and that Sirius Black."

"What happened?" Zavy asked, giving him her full attention.

"It was in Hogsmeade. A couple of the teachers and the Minister were meeting at the Three Broomsticks. They were talking about Sirius Black and the events of everything. Harry I guess was in there under his cloak, and heard everything, about Sirius being his god father and supposedly being the one to sell out his parents. He swore to kill Sirius shortly after."

Zavy's eyes widened. She had told the store to Brenden shortly after she heard it from Sirius' mouth, and I guess told it to his new girlfriend, not wanting to start the relationship off with secrets, "Oh Harry... If only he knew..."

"Is there any way we can tell him?" Alex asked with hope in her eyes.

"No. How would we explain it? If there was a sign of Pettigrew around, then maybe, but I really don't know how we can help. I'm sure it's Pettigrew that he's looking for, but he seems to think that he's in the castle somewhere."

"Wait. You said that Sirius told you Pettigrew is an animagous? That turns into a rat?" Brenden asked.

Zavy nodded slowly, wondering what he was getting at.

"Ron!"

"Ron?" Zavy and Alex repeated curiously.

"Ron's rat, scabbers! It fits perfectly, been in the family for over a decade, and he's missing a toe!"

Zavy and Alex looked at each other, realization dawning on them. It made perfect sense. It explained everything, why Sirius cried in his sleep that he was at Hogarts, why he blieved Pettigrew was in the castle, why he had attacked Ron's bed, why Crookshanks was constantly attacking the thing. But there was no way to explain it to anyone, not without proof.

"What can we do?" asked Alex, lacing her fingers with Brenden's.

"There's nothing we can do. This isn't our fight, it's Harry's. I'm sure Black will find a way to work this out, I'm just not sure how," Brenden answered her. Zavy looked at where the boy in question sat. Her eyes didn't stay there long, as George was near him. She looked at George, who was looking at her. Their eyes met, hers turning a soft pink colour, that strange feeling running thru her body. His eyes held some emotion in them, that longing look, combined with something she could not figure out. She looked away shortly after, confused as to what she was feeling around him lately.

"I think I'm going to call it an early night," she said finally, getting up to leave.

George watched her leave the Hall. Something had passed between them a moment ago, he was sure of it. And the colour of her eyes, they usually showed her emotions, so what did pink mean? He wasn't ready to approach her just yet, but was hoping all would be well after she recieved her gift. He smiled as he thought about it, the perfect gift he had finally found for her. It took weeks to think of something, but he found it, and he was absolutely positive she would like it. A movement caught his eye, and he saw that asshole Kyle walking out of the Hall after her. George didn't like the feeling he was getting from that. He wasn't sure if the two of them had spoken since the incident at the hospital wing when Harry was attacked by a dementor, but something just didn't feel right.

"Oi, Fred," he beckoned to his brother.

"What?" he asked.

"I think we need to go for a little walk."

"Where's she at now?" Fred asked, rolling his eyes.

"At the moment, I believe she's being tailed by Kyle."

"Alright, let's go," Fred replied, not liking the dangerous look in his brother's eye. Truth be told, Fred was not a fan of Kyle Deelstra himself.

Zavy exited the Hall and was walking towards Gryffindor tower to have a smoke before going to bed. She was exhausted from her lesson earlier with Lupin, and didn't really have much strength left. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't think much of it and kept walking.

"Pury!" an aggrivating voice called from behind her. Zavy's eyes flashed red and she turned to face him with a scowl on her face.

"What?" she asked in a hateful tone. She did not like the look on his face.

"I just want to talk to you," he said in a scary tone, walking up to her.

"I have nothing to say to you, now go away."

He walked dangerously close, scaring her, so she backed up as far as she could before hitting a wall.

"Well I have lots to say to you sexy," he told her in a tone she did not like.

"Go away," she repeated, trying to find some will within her to be able to drive him off if need be.

"I heard about you and Oliver. Pity, I thought he was beneath you. I know exactly what you need, someone better, like me," he said, moving closer to her. "Now how about a kiss?" and he crashed his lips onto hers.

Zavy tried desperately to push him away, but she was too weak. He forced his tongue into her mouth and she bit it as hard as she could. He screamed in pain, "You stupid little whore!" he cried, taking out his want. "Crucio!" he bellowed. Zavy was not ready for it, nor did she have a way to repel it. She fell to the floor in agony, the pain searing thru her body, wishing it would stop. "You will understand the things I do are for your own good. You need me Zahava, more than you know," he told her, making his spell stronger. She screamed, unable to do anything else as the pain got worse. She was writhing on the floor in pure agony until it stopped abruptly. She had passed out, not being able to take any more.

"Why don't you take a hike Deelstra?" said Fred, as George came to her aid.

"What did you do to her?" George demanded, rage inside him. He looked down at Zavy who was out cold, and held her body close to his. Every part of his being wanted to hurt this boy as badly as he possibly could without killing him.

"I simply was teaching he what happens when she associates herself with filth like you!" Kyle retorted, standing up to defend himself.

"That shit's forbidden in this school you fucking prick!" Fred yelled at him.

"Do I care? If you won't use it, that just simply proves how incompetent you are."

"I'll fucking show you incompetent!" George bellowed, getting ready to lunge at him.

"What is going on here?!" Professor Sprout came. She looked at Zavy in George's arms, still as a statue. "Mr. Deelstra, explain yourself!" she demanded, seeing as the twins were clearly defending themselves.

"He used the cruciatus curse on her Professor, she's barely even breathing!" Fred told her, walking to his brother.

Professor Sprout's eyes widened, "Boys, take her to Madam Pomphrey. Kyle, you are coming with me to the Headmaster's office at once. Hurry, time is of the essence!" she instructed.

George didn't need to be told twice. He picked up her body very delicately and held her close for a moment.

"Go find Brenden, tell him what happened, and bring him there with you," George told him. Fred nodded and walked back to the Hall. George carried her to the hospital wing alone. That stupid fucking asshole Kyle was very lucky that Professor Sprout showed up when she did. George was sure he would've mangled Kyle for even thinking about hurting his love. It didn't take him long to reach Madam Pomphrey, and she instructed him to put her on a bed so she could tend to her. George stood by her bedside, pulling up a chair and taking her hand. Fred, Brenden and Alexandra arrived shortly after.

"I just heard, is she alright?" Brenden asked, that look of horror on his face he had once wore when she was attacked by the dementor.

"She should be, just needs some rest," George explained.

"Thanks.. for looking after her," Brenden nodded at him.

"It's okay. I just don't understand why she didn't defend herself."

"She's been drained since her lessons with Professor Lupin. Sorcery takes a lot out of you, especially when you do something that takes your inner strength, instead of drawing from the things aroud you."

"What has she been doing?" asked Fred curiously.

"She's been learning how to conjure a patronus. She managed to do so successfully today, but it took a lot out of her. I'd be surprised if she was able to fight him off. I'm sorry Alex, but I really want to kill your cousin right now."

Alex squeezed his hand, "I don't blame you. I just don't get why he'd do something like this. He's been acting kind of weird lately."

They were all silent for a few moments, standing by her bed, watching her. George stroked her hand, tracing the mark that was faint on her cheek, curtesy of Oliver Wood.

"You really love her, don't you?" Brenden asked, eyeing him suspicously.

It took George a moment to reply, "Yeah, I do. With every beat of my heart..."

"George, you promised no being like that," said Fred jokingly.

Brenden nodded at the boy who didn't even look at him when he answered. He observed as George kept his gaze on her, pure adoration on his face. He knew the boy fancied his sister, but did not understand just how deep his feelings truly went. The thought of his sister with anyone did not sit well with him, but with George, the feeling was right, like it was supposed to be that way. He had only treated her badly once, and that was a misunderstanding, so he could forgive him that. Other than that, he would be okay if George were to be with his sister, and he felt that she would be truly happy with him. He was interrupted from his thoughts when his god father, McGonagall, Lupin and Snape had entered the room.

"What did you do with him?" Brenden damanded.

"I gave him detention for the next two days, and for a few weeks after he gets back from the Christmas holidays, Mr. DelCotta," Dumbledore replied calmly.

"That it?!"

"Yes."

"He used an unforgivable curse and you think detention is going to make him learn?!" Brenden was fuming, not believing his god father was so inconsiderate towards his sister. "She's your bleedin' god daughter for Godric's sake!"

"I understand your emotions Brenden. I am furious about Mr. Deelstra's actions. however, I do not believe this was intended."

"What?"

"He does not remember anything from before dinner until he got into the office."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Fred, a little calmer than Brenden. He did not have the right to yell at the Headmaster like Brenden did.

"It means, Mr. Weasley, that he is either lying, or someone has imperioused him."

The room was silent yet again, taking in this information.

"Which do you think it was?" asked Alex, wanting an explanation for her cousin's actions.

"I believe he was imperioused."

..................

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	20. Chapter 20

The corridors were quieter than usual, the castle nearly empty. Most parents had called their children home for the holidays, seeing as Sirius Black was lurking in the shadows. Fred and George were planning on going back home, but decided to stick around incase Zavy woke up. Madam Pomphrey had told them that she was hit with full force, and would not regain consciousness for a few days, and even then, her strength wouldn't return for nearly a full week. George sat in the hospital wing everyday, all day, only eating when Fred brought him food and only leaving when the medi-witch kicked him out. That didn't stop him though, since he snuck in after and left before the morning only to return to sit by her bedside. Brenden was around everyday as well, but with Alexandra refusing to go back home with Kyle, she was occupying his mind, which was better for him.

George wanted to be here when she woke up, wanted to be the first face that she saw. He had never felt so strongly about someone before, and couldn't stand to see her like this. The thought of Kyle being imperioused sounded like rubbish to him, but she did have enemies, and it could be possible. However, how would they know of her and her brother's existance without the power of leglimency? No one could know unless they were brought out into the open, and for that to happen, there was really no chance.

This was day number four of her slumber, and she was showing no signs of waking up yet. George worried, even though Madam Pomphrey assured him she would be alright. But what if something else happened that they weren't aware of? They had only arrived right before she passed out, so they weren't sure on the whole story. He held both of her hands until they were warm, since she was always cold, but was depressed all the time with her current state. He just wished there was a way to reach her, to help her.

Zavy was walking thru the abyss of her mind. She didn't know how long she'd been there, nor what she was looking for, but she knew she wasn't in a hurry. She saw many images in there, all her memories. Some of them she wasn't even sure about, some of them she was happy to see. It amazed her about how much she remembered of George. Everywhere she looked, he seemed to be there, and she could even smell the scent he usually carried with him. She realized how much she missed his company from seeing his face everywhere. She wished he were here to be honest, to show him things she would never be able to share with anyone, seeing as she didn't know of anyone else who could see into her thoughts like Brenden.

"Zavy?" she heard his voice. His soft, caring voice. She smiled, as the fire burned inside her, and looked for which memory was trying to reach her.

"George?" she said, stunned. He was there, physically standing in front of her. "What?"

"I'm not sure. Am I in your head?" he asked, clearly as confused as she was.

"I suppose so. But... how did you get here?"

"I really don't know," he replied. "I'm glad to see your alright though," he told her in all seriousness, looking straight into her eyes. A wave of emotion swept thru her, and her eyes turned into a soft pink colour as she looked up at him. He had grown again, making him a head taller than she was.

He hugged her tightly to him, the fear gnawing at him finally ebbing away. She hugged him back, confused at all the emotions running thru her. They broke apart and he gazed at her, trying to show her how much he loved her. Zavy looked at him, not understanding what she was seeing, but she knew she would in time. There seemed to be a gravitational pull between them. He bent down and kissed her soft lips for the first time. Zavy let her eyes flutter shut, passion exploding thru her. He was warm, oh so warm, and she could feel something she had never felt before. But most of all, this felt _right, _like it was supposed to happen this way. Her hand snaked up behind his neck and entangled her fingers in his hair. He lay a hand on her cheek, deepening their kiss. Their tongues danced, moving from one mouth to the other, sending wave over wave of sensations thru the both of them. They broke apart slowly, eyelids opening slow and looked at one another. Her eyes were that same soft pink, with a kind of red swirling thru them. They maybe stood like that for a couple minutes, but it felt like eternity to the both of them.

A light began to shine behind him, killing their moment as he turned around to look. A portrait of him and Zavy sharing their kiss appeared, showing the scene that had just happened. They stared in awe as they watched George appear behind her, her turning to see him, and then their kiss. They watchd themselves, George liking the way this looked, and Zavy once again getting the feeling that this was meant to happen. She wondered if it was maybe because this was an emotional time, or if he did fancy her. The thought of him fancying her made her stomach feel weird.

"So uhh... what colour are your eyes?" he asked, not really knowing what to say.

She smiled, daring to look at him again, "They change colours, depending on my moods and emotions. But overall I believe that their green."

"That's really wicked."

"Yeah," she said, smiling again, "The only other person to have them is my grandmother. Dumbledore told me that she was a witch, so clearly on mum's side, and she lived to be about 123 before she passed away. I miss her..."

"I'm sorry."

"Would you like to see her?"

"Huh? Sure, but... How?"

She took his hand, "Follow me."

George marvelled at how well her hand fit into his, sending a warm sensation thru his body at her touch. His only regret was that he could not intertwine his fingers with hers. She led him passed all kinds of moving pictures, which he assumed were her memories. He saw her and her brother playing at a school, saw them as babies with a younger Dumbedore, saw two people that he could only assume were her parents, saw them on a family trip to the zoo, saw her with him and his brother, saw her the first time she entered Hogwarts during the summer when she first moved, saw memories of the Leaky Cauldron when she lived there. He was amazed at her life, and was hoping she'd show him more.

She stopped in front of a picture of and older witch, her eyes changing colours as she watched little Zavy and Brenden running around a play room. She chased them, making the kids giggle, she blew rasberries on the bellies, she lifted them high in the air and levitated them. Little Zavy looked so happy with her grandmother and Brenden. George smiled at her memory, feeling touched she would share something that important with him.

"My grandmother was my most favourite person in the world. She always made us the best foods and took care of us as often as she could. I miss her..." said Zavy, watching herself get pushed on a swing. George sqeezed her hand to offer her some strength.

"You look really happy," he said, not really knowing what to say.

"It was one of the happiest times of my life," she replied, but then instantly correcting herself mentally. Her patronus was only possible because of the memory of George, who was standing beside her, holding her hand.

She had another thought, and then led him away from her grandmother. She walked passed her memories and stopped in front of one that she knew he would appreciate. George looked at it, shocked. There was his house, the Burrow. The picture zoomed in and inside was him and his brother, at about the age of two. They were playing with little Zavy and Brenden, under the watchful eye of her father. Ignatious DelCotta had the happiest look on his face as he watched the kids play. Bill was sitting beside him, talking to him about his life's dream, to become a curse breakor.

"You remember this?" he asked, surprised at what he was seeing.

"Vaguely. It was such a long time ago, but yeah, I have memories stored in here that I thought I had forgotten," she replied, turning away from the memory once it started to repeat itself. She started to walk away but George held her there for a moment. He wished he could remember this, but it was so long ago...

Zavy led George deeper into the abyss, trying to find something else she could show him. As he walked, he caught a glimpse of her turning into a white wolf in front of McGonagall. He stopped, trying to get a better look.

"You're an animagous?" he asked incredulously.

"Not really. I can take the shape of any animal I want to. I can also alter my features to look like a different person, but I haven't perfected that one yet. McGonagal is currently helping me with that," she explained calmly.

"So your like a super animagous and metamorphagous?"

"Sure," she said, laughing. She let him watch as she changed her shape into a snowy owl, "Changing body features for us is hard."

"How do you mean? A metamorphagous just does it instantly, hair eyes, whatever they want."

"Yeah, but their born with that. If I were to change the colour of my hair, I'd have to concentrate on every single strand and think of the colour to mix with it to make the colour I wanted. Luckily, my hair is blond so it would'nt be that hard, but still..."

"Yeah, I see what you mean."

Zavy sighed, looking around her abyss. The floating protraits contained everything she ever remembered, even her wandering around here. She didn't want to live in them though, she wanted to go home, however she got there.

"What's wrong?" George asked her, concerned about the troubled look on her face.

"I just don't know how to get out of here," she replied, looking around.

"Well, right now you're sleeping. You've been sleeping for the past four days."

"Four days?!" it certainly hadn't felt that long.

"Yeah. Four days since you were attacked by Kyle with the cruciatous curse."

At the mention f the event, the portrait of the memory appeared in front of them. George watched as the event unfolded before him. He scowled at it, seeing as Kyle was prepared to force himself upon her, whether she liked it or not. His blood boiled at the sight of it, and he saw as it went black and then started to repeat itself. Zavy pulled him away from it, seeing his face upset. She gasped as he started to fade.

"Whats going on?!" she asked him.

"I think I'm leaving," he answered, looking as his hands disintegrated in front of him.

"How am I supposed to get out of here?" she asked, near tears now.

"I suppose you'll just have to wake up..." he said, before vanishing completely. She let her tears fall as she stared in the place he stood only a moment ago. She had to wake up, but how? How was she supposed to?

George awoke in his body, not really knowing if he was asleep or not. If he was, it was a very strange dream he had, but all of his feelings felt real. He could still feel the ghost of her touch on his hand, but then again, maybe it's because he just happens to still be holding it. He raised his head and looked at her. She was still sleeping, with the same look on her beautiful face. He sighed and looked around the room. There was no one else here, but it was nearly time for lunch. His attention was brought back to her as her hand tightened around his. She looked at her face, and saw movement in her eyes. She slowly opened them, taking her hand away from his and moving both of hands to rub her face. She stretched out, feeling the bed sores in her back.

"Next time this happens, make sure you at least move me once a day, my back is killing me," she said to whoever was in the room, not taking the time to look first.

George chuckled, "I'll give you a back massage once I get the chance love," he told her. She turned to look at him for the first time in four days. Her eyes turned that soft pink colour as she took him in, remembering her time just a few minutes ago in the abyss. She wasn't sure if maybe it was a dream, and choose not to say anything about it until he brought it up. She looked around, seeing no one else besides him in the room.

Brenden was getting some lunch in the Hall, sitting with is girlfriend, Alexandra, at the end of the Hufflepuff table. It was not as noisly as usual, seeing as most of the students were gone home for the holidays. He was terribly worried about his sister, but his new girlfriend, who just so happned to be her best friend, helped him a lot with his troubles. He knew that Zavy wouldn't want hm to sit there like last time, and she knew it as well, so Alex did what she could to fullfill her friends wishes while she regained her strength. He looked up, feeling his pendant at this throat tingle. He was curious as to what the thing was doing, and tried to ignore it. But the more he tried to put his attention away from it, the more it started to vibrate, and then started to itch and burn. He grabbed the thing in his hand.

-Hello???- he heard his sister's voice in his head.

-Zavy?-

-No, it's boogy man!-

-What?-

-I'm soo sure I sit in a coma for four days and my own twin isn't even there when I wake up- she said in mock sadness.

-Your awake?-

-That's what I said, turdface-

-When did you wake up?- but her voice was gone. He smiled and looked at his girlfriend.

"What?" she asked.

"Zavy's awake."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she was just informing me about it," he explained so she wouldn't ask how he knew.

"Well what are we waiting for?"

Zavy was talking with Fred and Harry when Brenden and Alex arrived. She was sipping her potion the whole time, making a face at every drink. George was there, he was always there when Brenden had stopped in during the time of her slumber. He was still quiet, but staring at her with that same look on his face.

"Took ya long enough," she upon noticing her brother in the room. His fingers were ineterlaced with her best mate, Alex. She smiled slyly, "been too busy for your dear old twin eh?"

"Well, I could give you the details if you like..." he trailed his reply.

She made a face much like the one she had when she drank the potion, "Too much mate, I don't fancy vomiting."

"Do you remember everything that happened?" he asked cautiously.

She nodded, "Yeah. What was his great excuse for it?" she asked, her eyes flashing that dangerous red.

"Dumbledore believes he was imperioused," Alex explained.

"Imperioused?"

"One of the unforgivable curses. There's three of them, the cruciatous, which you experienced, the imperious, giving one the power to control another, and the killing curse, self explanatory," Fred explained slowly. He was still pretty pissed off about this.

Zavy's eyes were that dangerous red, flashing back and forth to a steely grey, "I see," was all she said. She sighed, not really knowing what to think about all of this, "So how long am I here?"

"Until your strength starts to recover enough for you to walk on your own," George told her, speaking softly. She rolled her eyes. Who in the bleedin' hell would know when that would be? If she was able to contact her brother mentally, then surely she wasn't that weak? But then again, lifting the cup of her potion was kinda heavy on her arm. Sleeping for a few days would do that to someone, it was called sighed. Brenden held her hand to comfort her, and she squeezed it as hard as she could.

"You're weak as a kitten," he said, laughing at her.

"Oh, shut up you miserable git," she attempted to swat at him.

Over the next few days, her strength was gradually returning. Unfortunately, she would have to spend Christmas in the hospital wing, but her friends and family would be there with her, so she didn't feel too badly about it. In truth, she was just happy that she was able to be awake for it. Maybe an hour or two after she woke up, George was the first one in her room, like always.

"Happy Christmas," he greeted her, clearly hiding something behind his back.

"Merry Chirstmas," she corrected, not changing that ro any reason. It felt like she was keeping the tradition of her parents alive by saying it.

"I got your gift when I woke up, thanks," he said, smiling at her. She had got him an assortment of muggle pranking devices from Canada. Once she saw it on the internet, she thought of the twins and ordered it in the summer when she went on the muggle side to be able to use it.

"I thought you might like it," she replied, propping her pillows so she could sit up a bit, absently drinking that disgusting potion.

He pulled the perfectly wrapped gift from behind his back and handed it to her. She took it, something passing thru them, as her eyes turned that soft pink that he was now used to seeing whenever she looked at him. She held the present in her hands delicately, wondering what was inside. She began to tear the wrapping paper off, and found what looked like a jewlery box. She looked at George incredulously, wondering how much this would cost. He nodded his head toward it, basically telling her to open it. She did, and gasped at what she saw. There, was a necklace, silver, as he knew she perferred silver. In the middle of the necklace was a crystal, not too big, but perfect. She picked it up and gasped again. Inside the crystal, colours were starting to form. It began to turn pink, like her eyes, but then turned an amethyst, as she stared in wonder, her eyes also changed to the same colour.

"It's enchanted to change colours with your moods, ultimately to match your eyes," he explained, blushing at the look on her face. He was very nervous about whether or not she would like this.

"George, it's beautiful," she told him, looking at him. He saw her eyes that amethyst colour, with swirls of pink and red in them. His heart exploded with love for this girl. He knew she had to have some kind of feeling for him, why else would her eyes change to pink like that? She fastened the necklace around her neck. It was longer than the silver pendant at her throat, and fit perfectly underneath it. George wanted to kiss her so badly. They just stared at each other, entranced in each others eyes. She still could not figure out what she was seeing in his eyes when he looked at her like this, or in these moments. It was frustrating, almost as frustrating as her own feelings, not knowing what they were. A fire seemed to ignite in her belly when she was around him, but why? And that kiss they shared in the abyss of her mind. Was it real? It certainly felt real. Was he getting closer?

"Hello, hello! Happy Christmas to all!" Fred announced his arrival. Zavy and George jumped, being broken from their moment and turned to look at him. Brenden, Alex, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all with him, carrying their presents for Zavy. She assumed that they had already opened theirs in the commons and were coming to spend some time with her.

"Merry Christmas," Brenden, Alex and Zavy corrected him, smiling to each other. George chuckled while the others looked confused at them.

"Looved the gift Zavy, you know me oh so well," said Fred, clearly looking like he started happy hour a bit early. Zavy smiled and nodded at him. He put his gift on her lap waiting like a child in anticipation for her to open it. She amused him, and tore apart the wrapping paper to reveal another box. She opened the box and peered inside.

"Fireworks?" she inquired.

"Those are special mate. Their the first batch of Wheeze works to ever be created, and I decided that you should have the first one to be able to test them out," Fred explained, proud of himself.

She smiled at him, "Thanks Fred."

She opened Harry's gift next, finding a book about Englands deadliest dragon, keeping a record of them and their abilities. She thanked him, loving the very thought of a dragon. Ron got her an assortment of candies, and she smiled, pointing out that they were half eaten. She didn't talk much to Ron, but got him a present since he was a Weasley and didn't want to single him out. Ginny's gift was a glass ball with water droplets in them, and it was very mesmerizing. Hermione for once did NOT get a book for her, she instead got some earrings, a bracelet and an anklet. They all were different stones of her sign, leo. Alex got her an assortment of cute knickers, knowing her style. Zavy blushed at some of them, but thanked her all the same, liking it.

"This one's from me, and the other one is from our god father," Brenden explained, putting two gifts on her lap. Zavy opened Brenden's gift first, carefully peeling the wrapping paper away from it. She found yet another book, on the positioning of the planets this year, and when a good time to go star gazing would be. She smiled at him, knowing he put a lot of thought into this. She then opened the next gift, from her god father. It was a small gift, but she knew it would be meaningful. She opened the little box and it contained a stone inside of it. She looked at it curiously, wondering what its purpose could possibly be. She read the card that came with it.

_Zahava,_

_I know this gift may be confusing, but I have entrusted you with a task._

_Please, guard this stone from everyone._

_You will know when the timing is right what to do with it._

_I know you will not disappoint me._

_Your loving god father._

_Albus Dumbledore._

Guard this stone? But what was it? Why was it so important? She knew she wouldn't get an answer from him, and sighed. Everything had to do with a specific timeline that she was unaware of. How was it possible that everything fit together? Did everyone know something she didn't? She sighed yet again and placed the stone in Brenden's hand, mentally telling him where to put it.

"Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all of this. I know that you could be out enjoying yourselves, but I'm happy you chose to come spend it with little old me," she said mockingly with a smile.

"It's no problem Zavy, you're pretty much like family," Ron replied. For Ron to say that really meant something to her, since the two of them didn't talk much.

"I just can't wait to get out of this stupid bed. Or at least get a new mattress, this one really sucks," she said, shifting herself to get comfy.

"Geeze, can't just be happy with what you have, always needs more. I think there's a condition about that..." Fred mused. Zavy conjured water above his head and let it drop, erupting in a fit of giggles. "Very funny," he rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at her and using his want to dry himself off.

"Too bad there's no cure for your arrogance," she said between laughs. She had to admit, despite being in the hospital wing, this was indeed a very Merry Christmas.

* * *

feedback?


	21. Chapter 21

The snow was starting to melt, indicating that spring was on it's way. The day wasn't too bad, and Zavy fancied a fly around the grounds, seeing as it had been while since she felt such a feeling. This time however, she planned not to use her broom, she was going out as a snowy owl. Luckily, it wasn't weird for the students and teachers to see owl's flying around in the day time, so she apparated to her spot on the treeline to have a smoke before changing her shape.

"Hello Zavy," said Sirius in his animagous form, walking up to her from the forest.

"Hello Sirius, how goes your hunt?" she greeted pleasantly, taking a drag of her smoke.

"Tedius. Still not able to sink my fangs in Pettigrew."

"You're after Ron's rat right? Scabbers?"

"How did you know?"

"Well, my brother figured it out. I didn't have a chance to ask you, because I was attacked by a former mate of mine."

"You're brother is very sharp. Yes, I am looking for the Weasley rat, and I was wondering why you haven't been around much."

"Well, I got out of the hospital wing weeks ago, but the Weasley twins wouldn't let me have a moment alone, seeing as Kyle came back and they wanted to make sure I was safe."

"Good mates they are. What happened with this Kyle bloke?"

"My god father believes he was imperioused and attacked me with the cruciatous curse."

"That's serious stuff there. No doubt I'm the one to blame then?"

"Only according to the students."

Sirius reverted to his human form. He looked at her intently, "You do understand what this means right?"

"The attack on me?"

"Yes. It means that someone has learned of you and your brothers existance, and from the sounds of it, it's like an enemy. You and your brother need to start being more careful."

"But how could someone know about us? Anyone who has a clue about our past wouldn't be able to say anything because of the oath they took. It's a magical bind, the only thing that happens if its broken is death."

"I'm not sure, but someone may have noticed your abilities in school, someone may also have used the Legimens to see into people that are close to you. There are still death eaters out there that are in hiding, but will continue to serve the dark lord."

"Isn't he dead though?"

"Supposedly. Many believe that he will return into power, even your god father doesn't believe he's actually gone completely."

Zavy pondered his words carefully. If Voldemort did indeed return, it would be trouble for her and Brenden. It would be trouble for everyone, especially Harry. She threw her smoke away and lit a joint after, hoping to calm herself. Two, maybe three puffs and she put it out against the boulder and blew the ashes away.

"Well Sirius, it was a nice crack, but, I think I want to go flying now," she said, changing her form into a snowy owl. Sirius nodded once at her and changed his shape back into the black dog. Zavy jumped once and spiraled into the air, watching Sirius go back into the forest.

Zavy flew high above the castle on ghostly wings. She saw other owls flying to and from the owlery with letters in their mouths. She flew across the lake and over the forest, catching a glimpse of the mountains. Flying was such an exilerating feeling, the feeling of truly being free. She flew over the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, seeing the tops of all the houses. She flew back over Hogwarts, seeing smoke come from Hagrid's hut. She decided to fly to Dumbledore's office and have a look to see what her god father was up to. She saw Fawkes on his perch like he always was, but her god father was not present there. She took off from the window, circling the grounds again, and then spotting two red heads coming out onto the grounds. She smiled as best as she could with a hooked beak and descended towards her friends, the twins.

Fred and George were walking towards the lake by themselves. Zavy wondered what they were doing and perched on a tree branch just above where they were headed. George leaned against it, seeing as it was too wet to sit down.

"I thought maybe she'd be here," he said, looking around.

"Well she's not mate. Just let her have some space, hasn't gotten much since they let her out," Fred replied, taking a look himself.

"But where would she go? If only we still had the map, we'd be able to know where she is and find her easily."

"Harry probably needs the map more than we do mate. She's a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"What about if her powers are drained like last time? I don't reckon anyone would want to go thru that hell again."

"Well Deelstra's been pretty arrogant since he's been back, and that's normal for him, so he probably was imperioused."

"Who do you think it was though?" George asked. Zavy could see the hatred in his eyes.

"Honestly, I have no clue. But it's clearly someone that wants to hurt her, so we'll have to be careful of anyone that starts asking too many questions about her past. Not like we'll be able to say anything after taking the oath."

"I wonder if she's maybe snuck off to Hogsmeade..." George mused, looking out at the water.

Zavy had heard enough. She was grateful her friends worried about her so, but she didn't want them to continue. She lifted herself off her perch and spiraled downward to cirlce the twins. George took a few steps, looking at the owl curiously. He had a feeling it was her, remembering what he had seen when he entered her mind, dream or not. She flew close to his cheek, letting her wings touch him briefly, before flying away in the direction of the owlery.

"I think I know where she is," George declared, bolting off in the same direction.

Zavy flew in beside Hedwig, Harry's owl. They looked almost similar, and to the untrained eye, one could not tell the difference between them. She looked around and saw no one, so she resumed her own form. She went to see the owl that Brenden and her shared, the mini snowy owl that still remained namelss. She didn't seem to mind though, and hooted happily when Zavy ruffled her feathers. Owl's were flying in and out with the mail, some were sleeping, and some were looking at her with curious eyes. She smiled and turned to leave, only to bump into George.

"There you are love, I thought you had gotten lost," he said, smiling at her. Zavy's eyes turned that soft pink like always as she returned his smile.

"Where's Fred?" she asked, looking behind him for a sign of his twin.

"Don't know. Probably got lost trying to follow me here," he replied, grinning devilishly. Zavy felt a weird feeling go thru her at his face. He was very handsome just now, and she'd be a fool to deny it. She had this sudden urge to kiss him. Where was it coming from? George looked as her eyes had red swirls running thru them. "Let's go get some lunch," he suggested, stepping out of her way.

Zavy blinked, coming back to her senses, "Y-yeah... Lunch," she stuttered. What was wrong with her? Her eyes turned back to green, but with the pink colour in the mixture.

Fred was already in the Hall, sitting with Brenden, Alex and Hermione at the end of the Ravenclaw table. George and Zavy made their way over to them and sat down across from each other. Hermione looked longingly over at Harry and Ron, but then turned her attention back to the food she was playing with. Zavy felt bad for the girl. Harry had gotten a Firebolt broomstick from someone annonymous. Zavy had her suspicions as to who it was, but kept her mouth shut. Hermione had only done the right and safe thing by reporting it to McGonagall, but she could see Harry being upset about not even being able to ride his new broom. He still hadn't gotten it back and neither of the boys were talking to Hermione about it at all. Zavy didn't get involved. Harry would get his broom back and everything would blow over.

The six of them conversed about the upcoming Quidditch match, and were hoping Harry would have his broom back before it was time. Zavy rolled her eyes at their talk. She liked the sport, but didn't obsess over it like the boys seemed to. Even her friend Alex was all for it. Traitor. She was instead talking with Hermione about some of the advanced things she was learning, and her time turner. Zavy didn't like the idea of messing with the time. It was like messing around with the weather, just not a good idea. If she wanted to, she could conjure up a thunder storm out of nothing, but the problem with that was, she'd be disturbing natual weather patterns. One little storm here could cause a fatal hurricane somewhere else. One had to be very careful when they went tampering with the weather. She shuddered at the thought of it.

Zavy was walking thru the corridor on her day off, and for once, she was by herself. Kyle was the first to notice as he made his way up to her. He really didn't remember attacking her, and felt horrible for it. He knew she'd probably be jumpy, so he made sure she could hear him. She stopped, turning to face him with the look of death.

"What?" she asked flatly.

"Look, Pury, I really don't remember anything that happened that night weeks ago. I'm really sorry for what I did. I don't expect anything to go back to what it used to be, but, I just wanted to apologize," he told her with sincerity. Zavy looked at him, and then walked away, keeping a shield at her back just incase.

She may appreciate his apology, but she would not forgive him. In her mind was still the horror of all the pain she felt when he used the curse on her. She shuddered thinking about it, feeling her body tingle at the memory. The only thing she knew from this experience, was that if Voldemort did indeed return, she would have to become a hell of a lot stronger.

She walked on in the corridors, not really knowing where she was going. Anyone who saw her, might've thought she was a zombie, walking thru the halls. No one noticed her when she was by herself, but when the twins were around, everyone stared. A lot of girls were envious, and lot of guys gave her the once over. She wasn't really a fan of people, but she'd been in school long enough to make peace with her phobia. Her thoughts were interrupted when she fell to the floor, bumping into none other than George Weasley.

"Damnit George!" she wailed mockingly at him.

He laughed and held out a hand to help her up, "Sorry Z, didn't see you there."

She took his hand, an electric shock going thru both of them, "Evidently...." she replied, taken back by this feeling. Her eyes turned that familiar soft pink colour, with a hint of red in there as she gazed into his eyes. His sparkling bluish eyes, that showed nothing but love for her. She did not see the love, but was curious as to what she was seeing in them at every passing moment.

Her hand was still in his, subconciously pulling her closer. He chanced a move, and interlinked his fingers with hers. She didn't respond, and he was unsure of what to think at that moment. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, her insides feeling very strange to her. She did not take her eyes away from his, but knew they were changing colours. George was very aware of her eyes, and how they flickered from red to pink, wondering what she was feeling. She didn't pull her hand away from his, but she did not return his grasp on it, and that was confusing. The gap between them was closing, he put a hand on her hip, sending a wave of passion thru her. Her knees felt very weak at the moment, and her eyelids were falling over her eyes.

She wasn't aware of what was going on until she felt his lips on hers, and her body explode with emotions. She was very aware of her movements, and happy that she was leaning into him, seeing as she wasn't sure if she could support herself anymore. She brought her hand to his back, she wanted him to be closer. George tightened his hold on her, shifiting his arm so that it was around her lower back. He moaned a bit when she allowed access into her mouth, playing with her soft tongue in the warm cavern. The balls on her tongue rings sent curious feelings throughout his body, and he hungered for more.

Regrettibly, they pulled back, breathless. He gazed into her eyes, swimming with pinks, purples and reds. They stayed in their embrace, just staring at the one another, afraid to make another move. Zavy wasn't sure, but she let her instincts take over, and kissed him again. This one, if possible, had more feeling to it. A deep sense of longing, confusion, and love. Zavy did not know about the love, but she knew that kissing George was the making the most sense in her life right now, and it kept all of her pain and fears at bay. Kissing George felt right, like the timeline she was following, like destiny, wanted this to happen. Kissing George felt like fire all over her body, and she yearned for more of him. Kissing George was amazing, and she loved the feelings running thru her. Kissing George was the only thing that mattered right now, and she'd be damned if it was wrong. Kissing George... was what she wanted.

George could feel her emotion, and offered his own. He wanted her to feel the love that had been thriving to go out to her for the past months that he had first realized it. Yet beneath him, he too had this feeling that what they were doing was right, like it was supposed to happen. He let go of her hand, and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close in his loving embrace. She had her arms locked firmly around his neck, both of them trying to get as close to each other as possible. They were in heaven, oblivious to their surroundings. They pulled back very slowly and resumed their gaze at one another. She was flustered and breathless, and he was soaring with love for her, and excitement for what had just happened. Did this mean she fancied him?

Zavy was looking for something. It was right in front of her face, yet she still could not see it. Her head was swimming with emotion, and she did not want it to end. He cupped her cheek with his hand, and ran his thumb across her face, her lips, trailing to her ear. She closed her eyes and moved to his touch. What was happening to her? He bent down and kissed her cheek, moving to her neck. His movements sent shivers down her spine, and made her female organs crave him. She moved her head and kissed his jaw line, running a hand thru his shaggy red hair. So sexy, so nice, so hot. Her half lidded eyes observed everything she had never seen in him before, and her nostrils were filled with his masculine scent, one thing she had noticed for months. She could see that he was about to capture her lips once more, and she waited for it.

"ZAVY!" she heard a voice call her. They jumped out of each others arms and stood a good distance apart. She was flustered still, trying to regain her composure, and her breath. George was annoyed at whoever was approaching. Harry popped out of the corner, running up to them.

"Y'alright?" she asked, wondering what happened to the boy.

"No. Last night I was searching for a man that appeared on the map. A man that was supposed to be dead. Peter Pettigrew," he explained, absently wondering why she was so out of breath.

"And?" George asked with intrigue.

"Snape caught me, and Lupin took the map. Don't worry, I made sure it was closed before they took it," Harry added at George's distressed look.

"So? I don't get why you came to me about it?" Zavy pondered to him.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you could... get it back for me?" Harry looked down at the ground, knowing the answer, but trying anyway.

Zavy sighed, "I'm sorry Harry, but I just can't. I have too much respect for Lupin to go stealing from him."

"I understand," said Harry, he knew she wouldn't. "I just want to follow this man, I mean, all that was left of him was a finger, and yet, the map is suppoed to never lie," he mused.

"I really don't know Harry. I heard about how Sirius supposedly killed him, but if the map says he's there, then Pettigrew is still there," Zavy said adamantly. She didn't like the look of hate on Harry's face at the mention of Sirius. If only he could know!

"What do you mean supposedly?"

"Like I said, if the map says he's there, and the map doesn't lie, then Pettigrew could not have died."

"That doesn't change the fact that he sold my parents out to Voldemort!" he was mad, and George visibly flinched at the name.

"How do you know it was Sirius? Don't you think it's pretty suspicious that Pettigrew is still alive, yet not revealing himself to clear Sirius of that charge? I'd say it's Pettigrew that sold your parents to Voldemort."

"But Black was secret keeper, so it couldn't have been him," said Harry firmly, turning and walking back in the direction he came.

This meant that Zavy and George were once again left by themselves. Both stood there in an akward silence, not really knowing what to do. George wanted to go back to what they were doing before they were interrupted, and Zavy wanted the same thing, but was not sure if she should. What did all of this mean? She didn't want to ruin the friendship that was just re-established. Maybe this was wrong? No, she knew it wasn't wrong, or else it would've felt wrong, like when Oliver Wood had kissed her. What was supposed to happen now? He was looking at her, she could feel his eyes boring into her. She looked back, and saw those same emotions running thru his features, his very hot features. He looked as if he was getting closer. She had to stop him before all of the passion happened again. She needed to sort things out before kissing George, oh so sexy George. Snap out of it!

"Food," Zavy said, in a choked whisper.

George blinked, "Food? That's and interesting pet name love, but I don't think I fancy that."

She laughed, "No silly, Let's go get food."

"Oh..." said George, his heart sinking, "Alright, let's go."

They walked at a decent distance apart from each other. At arms length, so they weren't to far to look weird. Upon entering the Hall, they had noticed that it was indeed time for lunch, as they looked for their companions. Zavy saw her brother sitting with Alex, Hermione and Luna at the end of the Ravenclaw table.

"I'm going to go see my brother," she said hesitantly, looking at him. She was still in some sort of trance, staring dreamily at her surroundings. He nodded once, looking at her like he always did, full of love and adoration. He stood his ground until she saw her sit with her brother and friend. He then looked for Fred and spotted him with Lee, Angelina and Katie, and walked towards them.

"Whoa, what happened to you mate?" Lee asked the instant he saw George. He was wearing a face of triumph, yet confusion. He wasn't upset, he looked extremely happy, and was staring at the Ravenclaw table.

Fred looked at his twin curiously, looking over to confirm he was indeed staring at Zavy. When he didn't answer Lee, Fred snapped his fingers in front of his face, "Hello?"

"Did something happen with her?" Lee asked. Everyone was staring intently at him, waiting for a response.

"OI!" Fred bellowed, making George jump.

"What?" he asked, wondering why everyone was staring at him.

"What happened?" Angelina asked excitedly.

"I kissed her..." George trailed, going back into his reverie.

"And?" Fred asked, surprised at this information.

"She kissed me after..." he went back into his memories of the moment they shared not too long ago, and went back to gawking at her.

"And?" Lee asked, wanting more details.

"We were interrupted by Harry..." he said, tearing his eyes away from her and grabbing a sandwich.

Zavy sat down across from Alex, beside Hermione and Luna. She was still in a daze, and unable to really focus on food. She could feel George's eyes on her, but she did not look in his direction, just continued to watch with her peripherals. Alex was observing her as well, and it made Zavy nervous. Sometimes Alex could read Zavy better than her own twin, a scary thought at times.

"Okay, spill," she said finally, interrupting whatever conversation.

"What?" Zavy said, trying to shake the effects of George out of her mind.

"Spill. What happened?" she repeated, determined to get answers.

"What happened with what?"

"Don't play dumb with me lady. Tell me what happened with who I can only assume George."

Zavy felt her cheeks turn red, "Oh!"

"What happened?" Brenden now asked, curious as to why she was blushing at the mention of George.

"He kissed me..." she trailed, reliving her feelings at that moment.

"And?" Alex asked.

"I kissed him after..." she was soaring with emotion, her eyes glistening at the memory, turning that pink, purply red colour.

"And?" Brenden inquired.

"Harry interrupted us..." she replied, her eyes going back to green with a pink tinge to them. She looked over at George, who was eating a sandwich, glancing at her every now and then.

"So what happens now?" Fred asked George at the same time Alex asked Zavy.

George and Zavy looked at each other for a moment. They were still in that dreamy haze, recounting what had just happened not too long ago. The question went unanswered. What did happen now?

* * *

sorry its short, bit of a block, thanks to my readers, and thanks to writestyle for the review.. please keep me encouraged :), and ideas are always appreciated.


	22. Chapter 22

_Your destiny awaits you._

_The time is nearing._

_Things must turn to become clear._

_A great power will soon awaken._

_A great sacrifice will soon be made._

_There will be no escape._

_Are you ready?_

George woke up way too early for is liking. There was also the fact that neither him nor Fred had gotten much sleep as of late. The Quidditch final was today, and Oliver Wood, recently hated team captain had been nothing but a prick to them. No doubt it was because the twins had ruined his friendship and lies with Zavy. It was his own fault, if he had just told the truth, she wouldn't have broken his nose. George was still livid at Oliver for slapping her, but kept his mouth shut for the sake of the team.

_Zavy... _His thoughts seemed to always dwell on her. It had been a few months since they kissed in the corridor, and she went on as if nothing happened. He knew it was probably some kind of self defence, but it was hard to be sure. Ever since she had woken up from her four day coma around Christmas time, she looked at him with eyes the colour of pink, sometimes mixed with red and purple, all colours of love and affection. It confused George. Truly she could feel what he'd been trying to show her for months? But she seemed oblivious to it all, and it hurt. He had to be patient though, he would not do anything to jeapordize their friendship a second time, not if he was trying to make it more than that. She had to have some sort of feelings for him, why else would she have kissed him the way she did so long ago?

George sat in the Hall with the rest of his team mates, Oliver annoying them to eat faster. He was desperate to win the cup this year, and that put a lot of pressure on all of them. They would be facing Slytherin again, which meant it wouldn't be easy with their fast brooms. Not only did they have to compete with their speed, but in order to win the cup, Harry coudln't catch the snitch until they were fifty points ahead. Although Wood harassed Harry as much as everyone else, George couldn't help but feel that he was deliberately trying to make his and his brother's life a living hell. Thank merlin he'd be gone next year, but who would be Captain then?

Zavy sat with the Gryffindors for once, with Brenden, Alex and Luna. It was strange how Luna had taken and immediate liking to the three of them, and decided to hang around. Zavy did not have a problem with the girl. She was nice, just a bit, for lack of a better word "loony". While Zavy liked Quidditch, she much preferred to watch it rather than play it. She was waiting for the team to come out, eager (though she'd never admit it out loud) to see George. He had been in her thoughts a lot since they shared that kiss. She wasn't sure on her feelings towards him, and he didn't seem to be making any other moves, so she left it at that.

"And here come the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee, disrupting her silent musing, "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Wood."

He was cut off by the huge disagreeing boos of the Slytherins. Zavy was a bit startled, it seemed as if Wood was looking right at her. She was right, he blew her a kiss, and she sent him the best death glare she could muster up. What was he playing at? The Slytherins entered the pitch.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, lead by captain Flint. He's made some changes, taking the bigger and bulkiest of them, going more for size rather than skill."

Zavy noticed this as well. The team seemed to be twice the size of anyone, except for that asshole Malfoy. He was still small and as scrawny as ever. She watched as the captains shook hands and then waited for the whistle. It wasn't long, and fourteen students flew into the air, above the stands, taking their positions. In the first ten minutes, it looked like the whole match would be nothing but catastrophy. George had nailed someone real good with a bludger, Angelina scored, Flint deliberately ran into her, Fred threw his beater club at him, and that all caused a penalty for both teams. Alicia scored for Gryffindor, leaving that sneak Flint to try and score on Oliver. Though Zavy hated Oliver, she'd much rather her team wins instead of those balsted snakes.

"Wood is a superb keeper. He may be a rotten liar, but there's not a doubt that he's a superb keeper!" Lee bellowed into magic megaphone. Zavy smiled, knowing he had said that for her. Oliver saved it, _YES!. _The match progressed, and it was getting ugly. It seemed as if the Slytherins were going to try everything to stop the Gryffindors, whether is was against the rules or not. They just didn't care what happened, so long as they were winning.

It started with Montague, he was coming after Katie, making a poor attempt for the Quaffle, seeing as he deliberately grabbed her head instead. Then, one of the Slytherin beaters hit Alicia with his club, George elbowed him for that. Another score, another save, Gryffindor was still in the lead. The twins were trying to protect one of the chasers, and the beaters on the opposing team decided to attack Wood. They succeeeded, and both bludgers nailed in the stomach. Zavy stood up, much like everyone else, cursing, using every word she could think of, and many in another language. Out of the clear sky, a thunderbolt randomly shot thru the middle of the pitch. That seemed to calm everyone down, though, only for a short time. Brenden hit her hard in the arm and she returned his glare. -Keep it under control-

Harry seemed to have spotted the snitch, because he made a rapid dive off to one direction. That little whiner Malfoy was following him, but then, he grabbed the end of Harry's broom. Mother fucker, what did that little rat bastard think he was doing? The pitch was filled with shouting by every house, even the teachers seats were enraged at this. Zavy was so unbelievably mad, she had to do something.

-Leave it alone Zavy! We need to keep it under control- Brenden's voice sounded as loud as he could in her head.

-The hell with that! It's all pure rubbish bro!-

She heard him sigh in her head. -Alright, allow me-

Brenden narrowed his eyes at Malfoy. Zavy could tell he was going to do something more permanent than just making him release Harry's broom. She could feel the power of his will building inside of him, and that familiar rushing noise reached her ears when he released it upon Malfoy. He had to be discreet, or it would be obvious that someone had cheated. Zavy followed Harry and Malfoy with her mind, to see what he was doing. She looked as Malfoy's hand started to become covered in boils. You couldn't hear him scream, as he took his hand off Harry's broom and began to itch it violently. George send a bludger his way, just to add to whatever seemed to be happening to him.

"Cheat! Someone's a cheat!!" he was screaming at Madam Hooch. He thrust his hand out to her, trying to show her the boils that formed on it. She didn't seem to care, or maybe it was because the boils were an illusion. Zavy was loooking at Harry, willing him to go on. He was so close and then finally, all of Hogwarts, minus the Slytherins errupted with cheers. Zavy stood, jumping excitedly with Alex. Gryffindor had won the cup! She saw George looking over at her, and somethign strange came over her. She walked to the front of the stands, and stood on the edge. George stared at her, eyes wide, wondering what she was going to do. He got Fred's attention, making sure he wasn't seeing things. With a wink, Zavy hurled herself into the air, falling freely and gracefully, with a smile on her face.

Fred and George zoomed to her rescue, shocked that she would do something like this. Brenden was screaming, running to the front of the stand, looking as if he were going to go after her, but being held back by Alex and Luna. Some spectators seemed oblivious as to what was going on. Fred and George rushed to where she was falling as fast as they could. What was she thinking? They were almost there, just a little further. Fred made it, however he grazed her, barely missing. But George was right under him, and caught her with ease looking at her with a worried face. She opened her eyes, the colour of orange and a vibrant green swam in them. She looked over at George, and a pink started to emerge, swirling around in a hypnotic way.

"What were you thinking? You could've died!" George demanded, more shocked than angry about this.

"I knew you would be there," she answered, smiling simply at him. George stared at her in disbelief. She laughed at him, "Now, take me to see Harry, I'd like to congradulate the lad."

-YOU BLEEDIN IDIOT!- Brenden screamed in her head.

-Love ya too bro- she replied in a cheery voice.

-YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!-

-It keeps you on your toes-

-What were you thinking?-

-I really don't know, I just went with my feeling-

-Please don't do something like that again. Everyone's sacrifice will mean nothing if you die because of a feeling you had-

-I promise nothing-

-Zavy...- But her voice was gone.

There was a huge celebration in the common room after the match. All of the house was there, drinking, chattering and laughing, while the cup was hovering, in display to everyone. Wood was crying happily, not a care in the world. The only thing that was unnerving, was the way he kept looking suggestively at Zavy. It angered George, who was fully aware of it. He watched the girl he loved totally oblivious to his looks talk to Angelina, Katie and Alicia about the match. He was a bit put out with her for jumping off the stands like that, but oddly enough, the words rang in his head, "I knew you would be there," seemed to calm him down. She trusted him with her life, and if that wasn't something, he didnt' know what was. She hadnt' really given any clue as to whether or not she returned his feelings, but then again, she didn't know his feelings for sure.

Zavy could feel Oliver's looks on her, but chose to ignore them. She was having too much of a good time to get annoyed with him. She sat with her dorm mates, cheering, laughing, drinking, and just being silly. The Weasley twins decided it was time to be show offs, and the girls payed attention to them, while pointing things out. George kept stealing glanes at Zavy, and she smiled at him, a warm feeling running thru her body every time. She was still usure of George, and the feelings that came with him at his presense, his thought, his looks. She still could not figure out what the emotion was swimming in his eyes when he looked at her, but she knew she would soon. It was one of those feelings she had, like that one that told her to jump off the stands. In that moment, she caught his eyes, and blushed deeply, realizing she had been caught staring. He held her gaze, giving her that same look she had always seen. Something dawned on her just then. She smiled as the realization struck her. She fancied George Weasley.

The school year had come to an end, and the last day before they boarded the train back to London was a gorgeous one. After the Quidditch final, things didn't seem to calm down for Harry. Sirius, her friend that turned out to be the shaggy black dog, had finally made a move. She smiled at her memories of him keeping her company while she smoked. Speaking of, she lit on right there, seeing as she was alone. Since it was such a beautiful day, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, she decided some early tanning wouldn't hurt. She was actually excited to be going home to her flat, and working with Tom the barman at the Leaky Cauldron again.

The time before exams had been tedious indeed for her friends. Buckbeak the hippogriff was going to become decapitated, and that put strain on poor Hagrid. Not long after that, Sirius decided to make his move, dragging poor Ron to the shrieking shack thru the passageway under the whomping willow with Scabbers/Pettigrew. Harry and Hermione followed him, as well as Lupin shortly after. The truth, and Pettigrew were revealed to all of them, shortly after Snape showed up. Unfortunately, when they arrived back on the grounds, Lupin was exposed to the full moon, becoming the beast he was forced to live with. He was driven away, and thats when the dementors attacked Harry and Sirius. A mystery patronus had driven them away, and Sirius was apprehended by Snape. That's when Hermione revealed her time turner, as she and Harry went back in time to save Buckbeak and free Sirius from the dementors kiss. He soared away, leaving the Hippogriff in a safe spot before returning to the school as the black dog, known as Padfoot.

Mrs. Weasley was there, in the hospital wing with her son, Ron. The other Weasley's were there: Bill, Arther, Fred, George, Ginny, as well as Zavy, Brenden, Harry, Hermione, Alex and much to her dismay, Kyle. Alex's parents were there, and Dumbledore entered with McGongall, Snape and Padfoot. Dumbledore explained briefly the story of Sirius Black, and the tale of Peter Pettigrew. Sirius reverted to his human form, causing everyone except Zavy, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Snape to gasp. Everything was explained, and Sirius shook hands with everyone in the room, even though there were hard feelings between him and Snape.

"Zavy," he said, coming to bid her farewell, "I do hope your adventure stays well. I thank you for the support and trust you gave me throughout the year. Do keep in touch?"

"Good bye Sirius. I'm sure we'll meet again," she said, smiling warmly at him and giving him a hug.

That memory took place nearly two weeks ago. The questions of how she knew Sirius poured out not too long after, and she was careful with her answers, not wanting to give too much away. So here she lay, basking in the sun, smoking and just relaxing after what she conisdered a difficult year. She rolled onto her stomach and saw the twins headed her way. Panicking a little, she took her last drag and threw the smoke away, vanishing it out of sight. She thought maybe they saw but she got lucky and they didn't.

George walked with Fred towards the lake where he suspected Zavy was. As he approached and saw her, he froze, feeling a twitch in his pants. There she was, laying on her stomach, in nothing but a black bikini. Her hair that looked like it came from the sun itself flowed in the soft breeze as she sat up to greet them, a smile on her face. George outright gaped at her, taking in her beauty. Fred nudged him and George followed as they went to sit beside her. He saw she'd been hiding tattooes under her clothes the whole time. On her right side, on her ribs was a lion, leaping thru the air, and on her left ankle, a dragon, soaring with a ruby clutched in its claws. The other thing he noticed was how she had developed throughout the year. She was a goddess, radiating in the sun.

George sat on one side and Fred sat on the other. Since Zavy had realized she fancied George, she felt incredibly shy around him. It was weird, since before it was no problem, but not she felt she had to either impress him or not embarass herself. She watched as he peeled off his shirt and her eyes widened. She put on her sunglasses, to hide her wandering eyes. Her mind screamed as she looked at his very toned muscles glistening in the sun from his sweat, and started to think about the naughty things she could do. She shook her head and turned her attention to Fred, the tension never strong between her and him. They were only identical to the untrained eye, because Zavy had always known the difference between them. Maybe people didn't know because they couldn't feel it like she could.

Quite suddenly, Zavy and Brenden's mini snowy owl swooped down to where the teens lay, carrying a letter in her beak. Zavy took it from her, stroking her feathers and then looking at her mail. She tore it open eagerly, seeing her god father's writing on it. She read the letter on the parchment, wondering what he could be sending her.

_Zahava and Brenden,_

_I hope you enjoy this early birthday present._

_I know how much this will mean to both of you._

_I'm sure you will have a wonderful time._

_Please try to stay out of trouble._

_Your loving god father,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

Zavy looked into the envelope to pull out two sheets of cardboard type paper. She read them and gasped. They were tickets to the Quidditch World Cup in the summer, the same day as her birthday. What a dear man he was!

"Merlin's beard..." Fred announced in awe, taking one and looking it over. George took the other and examined it as well.

"These are prime seats! Right near where the Minister sits! You lucky little bitch!" George declared.

"I'd give anything to go see it," said Fred with wonder, handing her present back to her.

"Well, maybe I can sneak you in," she said with a wink. She put the tickets and letter back in the envelope and told her little owl to find Brenden. She hooted happily before taking off in the direction of the castle.

"Fat chance love. There's high security there, seeing as they have to keep the muggles out," Fred explained squinting at her in the sunlight.

"I don't know then. I'm sure there'll be way for you lot to see it," she replied, flipping onto her back and gazing into the sky.

George swallowed hard at the sight of her. His eyes travelled from the top of her head to her beautiful face, sun spectacles masking her eyes. He looked over, her breasts and felt that familiar twitch in his pants before continuing his journey. Something sparkling in the sun caught his eye at her navel. He took a closer look and realized she had another piercing there. He kept looking and noticed yet another tattoo, on her foot, a sun. He continued to openly gawk at her until Fred broke him out of his trance by throwing a little rock at him.

Zavy did her best to hide the blush creeping to her cheeks. She was no better than he was, only she had a way of hiding it. There was no denying that George Weasley was by far, one of the most sexiest people she had ever seen. Maybe it was the fact that she fancied him that made her believe so, or maybe it was just pure fact. Either way, she couldn't help herself, and gave into her instincts to stare.

"So when are you comin to visit us?" Fred asked, breaking a silence. Zavy turned to look at him and noticed he looked a little uneasy.

"Not sure. I'll have to see about my work first," she replied, moving into a sitting position. She moved her glasses to that they rested on her head.

"Well, you'll definately have to come before your birthday," said George.

She smiled at him, "We'll see."

The train ride seemed very short. While Zavy was eager to be home, she also wished she could spend more time with her friends... mainly George. After him and Fred returned from throwing a few harmless dungbombs, he chose his seat right beside her. The only thought running thru her mind was that George Weasley's leg was against hers. She was in her compartment with Alex and Brenden snogging across from her, and Fred sitting there trying to ignore it.

The twins and Zavy talked about the upcoming Quidditch match, wondering who would be playing. Zavy didn't follow the tournament, but she thought maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. She subscribed for a copy of The Daily Prophet, so she could keep up with it all. As the train rolled to a stop, everyone got their belongings and filed out of the compartment. Alex and Brenden went off a bit to say goodbye to each other, while Zavy stood with the twins. She hugged Fred, reminding him to visit her while she worked, and then she turned to George, her eyes turning that same soft pink colour.

"I'll be working tomorrow for sure, so show up alright?" she told him. He nodded at her, looking with love into her eyes. They hugged each other, George holding her tightly against him. To some onlooker, one would think that they were never going to see each other again. Before they broke apart, he kissed the top of her head, and then waved good bye as he went to join with the rest of his family.

Zavy went to wait for Brenden, spotting her god father in the shadows like last year. Alex turned to leave, giving Zavy a hug before retreating to her mom. Zavy saw Kyle staring longingly at her, and she turned away from him, walking with her brother towards their god father.

"I thought that maybe you'd like to have me over for tea? There are some things we need to talk about," he told them.

"Is everything alright?" Brenden asked with concern.

"Not entirely. There's a problem that may soon be arising, and I need to make sure you understand fully what it will mean."

"I don't think I want to have that conversation," said Zavy.

"But you know it is necessary. There is also someone I would like to invite to your flat for tea. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," they said in unison.

George watched as Zavy, Brenden and Dumbledore apparated out of King's Cross station on the wizarding side. He was going to tell her the news his dad brought them, that they too would be going to the Quidditch World Cup, and seated in the same section, but she was already gone. He was excited to be going, it would be incredibly wicked. She was lucky it was on her birthday, there was no way he could top that. He had been thinking about her present since Christmas day, something that will match the necklace he bought and enchanted himself. He was going to do his best to make that girl his, of course, she had to choose it, and he would be ready for her, arms open.


	23. Chapter 23

Zavy, Brenden and their god father, Albus Dumbledore arrived at their flat not too long after they had gotten off the train. Zavy translocated her trunk into her room, and turned on a few lights. She let out another thought and the fire place ignited into dancing flames. The place was dusty, seeing as they had been away at school, so she let out more of her will, and it was clean and sparkling.

"Excellent dear child. Your powers have improved greatly, but there is still much to learn," Dumbledore beamed at her, before taking his favourite seat in front of the fire. Zavy went into the kitchen to fix him up some tea before wondering what was going to happen with supper if they haven't gotten any food. "I took the liberty of buying some groceries before you returned," Dumbledore told her, taking a drink of his tea.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, sitting down on the chair across from him.

"Well, you make an excellent meat pie, and I was in high hopes that you would maybe treat this poor old man to an excellent meal," he explained, winking at her.

She smiled warmly at him, "Anything for you," she said, getting up and kissing his forehead before going to work on supper. Brenden was in the kitchen, pouring himself a drink while their god father seated himself at the island. He was silent, thinking of how to tell them. Zavy busied herself with preparations, while Brenden lent a hand to her.

"As you know, I need to talk with you two," Dumbledore began. They listened, while continuing with what they were doing, "Peter Pettigrew is a servant of Lord Voldemort. What you do now know is that Professor Trelawny made a prediction to Harry unknowingly. She predicted the servant returning to its master, and the master rising once again. I cannot say whether or not this will come true, but I do have an unnerving feeling that Lord Voldemort will indeed walk among us once more."

At those words, the twins stopped what they were doing and looked intently at their god father. Zavy's eyes had a light grey cast over her normal emerald green. _What?!_

"If the event should come to surpass, you two will be in danger. I'm old, I am only your god father for the sake of your safety. Don't get me wrong children, I love you both dearly, as if you were my own. But it seems that too many people know of your existance, and the students at Hogwarts seem to notice there is something different about you two, no matter how much you've done to silence and confuse them about your orgins. If Voldemort does indeed rise into power again, I fear that your secret will be out, and he will come after you, by any means necessary. You two have powers that may be beyond his, and his ultimate goal is to utilize them for his own doing.

"You are coming along well in your studies, but I believe it is time to push you a little harder than I would have liked. There are spells and enchantments that only sorcerers can do. Voldemort knows this, that is why he has been on a hunt for you since he learned of your existance. Do not think destiny would leave you out, there is a prophecy of your birth. However, there is also a prophecy of your trials, of one day facing him. It does not speak of a winner, but fate will decide when the time comes... IF it comes, but let us pray that it doesn't."

"But what about Harry Potter? Is he not a child of prophecy and destiny as well?" Zavy asked.

"I asked you not to pry in other people's minds my dear."

"I'm sorry Albus, she wasn't prying, you were screaming them loud and clear in my head," Brenden explained.

He smiled at them, his eyes twinkling, "I apologize children. I did not realize I lost that momentary control. Yes, Harry is part of a prophecy to do with Voldemort, and he is only one who can defeat him. He will not however, be alone. I believe that one or both of you will stand by his side when he faces him. I ask that you take my words into consideration. This is just merely a thought I have, I do not believe there is time for worry now, but it never hurts to think ahead."

"We understand. Thanks for the warning, we should be able to spot the signs," said Brenden. They resumed their preparation of dinner, talking of the events of the school year and how they had done in their studies. Albus was very proud of his god children, and he was sure they would soon surpass him in skill and power. Dinner was nearly finished, when the twins heard a knock at their door.

"Ah, my guest has arrived. No need to get up, I shall go and let him in," said Dumbledore, smiling at them. He walked to the door and the twins heard the muffling sounds of a conversation before he re-emerged with the strangest looking character Zavy had ever seen. She looked at Brenden and he must've been thinking the same thing. "This is Alastor Moody. He will be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when you return to school in September."

"What? But what happened to Lupin?" Zavy asked. He was probably the best teacher they'd have.

"Someone let it leak that he was a were wolf. A lot of parents weren't happy with that, so he resigned."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that, Zahava."

"So you two are what all the ruckus is about. People call me Mad-Eye," Moody spoke for the first time.

"Does it maybe have something to do with that eye?" Zavy asked, watching it as it watched her. She narrowed her eyes at it, and reached her thought to it.

"No. But dont' you think that maybe after your encounter with the dementers its best not to send your mind wandering into things you don't know of."

"On the contrary 'Mad-Eye', if my god father trusts you, then I see no harm in exploration."

"That's where your wrong kid. How do you know I'm the real Alastor Moody or not?'

"I can look with my mind?"

Moody grunted, "I suppose that won't work with these two," he said, turning to Dumbledore. The oven dinged, indicating that the pies were done. Zavy turned to retreive them from the oven. It wasn't long before they were having a casual conversation about the dark arts.

"I must say, when Albus told me of these pies, I didn't believe they could be this good," said Moody when he was finished, taking a long drink from his flask.

"Why thank you," Zavy replied, beaming at him. Her and her brother cleared the table, planning on finishing the dishes tomorrow.

"Alastor, I do believe it is time," said Dumbledore, rising from his seat.

"I guess your right," he replied, getting up to stand in front of Dumbledore. He held out his hand, and their god father took out his wand, placing the tip in the middle of Moody's palm.

"You remember what your supposed to do?"

"Of course."

"Then begin when you're ready."

"I, Alastor Moody, swear under this oath and vow to protect Brenden DelCotta and Zahava DelCotta from any being or force that wishes to cause them harm. I vow to protect them with my life, and to never utter a single word of their existance. If I break this, may the curse take my soul to the deepest parts of death." Dumbledore's wand began to emit a golden line, binding Moody's hand. " I recognize Albus Dumbledore as secret keeper, and should this charm be dishonored, may he have mercy on me." The golden lines disappeared into Moody's flesh, leaving a barely visible essence of where they once were. He was now under the same oath that everyone seemed to be, and that made Zavy feel safe. This mood was suddenly interrupted by and owl crashing into the flat window. Zavy jumped, and then went to open it, recognizing Errol. She took the envelope from it's beak while Moody took his leave.

"Well children, I do believe it is my time to go as well. I shall come to see you before we head off to another school year. Farewell," said Dumbledore, apparating away from their living room.

Zavy turned her attention back to the letter she had just recieved from the Weasley owl. She was just about to open it when a tawny owl arrived and dropped a letter in her lap. What was going on? She recognized the writing, and it belonged to Alexandra, her old friend from Canada that moved to England last year. She opened that one first, and pulled out a letter.

_My lover... and Zavy,_

_You'll never guess what?! My family's going to the Final's to!_

_Dad got tickets from the Minister, I can't wait!_

_See you there._

_I love you Brenden, and I miss you both already_

_Alexandra Mann_

Zavy rolled her eyes and crumpled the letter into a ball, throwing it at Brenden. She then looked at the next letter, and could tell it was George that wrote to her. She smiled, feeling her eyes turn a different colour. Probably that blasted pink colour. She wished she had more control over such things like that. She wondered what George could be writing to her about. She was hopefully going to see him tomorrow while she worked. She opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment.

_Zavy,_

_I know that I'll see you tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait to tell you,_

_First off, WE'RE GOING TO THE FINALS!_

_Dad got the tickets for the whole family, and a couple extra. _

_We'll be sitting near you and your brother, isn't that exciting??!_

_No matter what, you'll be coming to stay with us, you might as well catch the ride._

_Secondly, my brother Charlie is coming down from Romania._

_I told him of your unnatural interest in dragons, and he said he had a treat for you._

_I won't tell you what is it though, but I know you'll love it._

_Thirdly, you stink, I can smell you from all the way over here._

_BUT! I like that smell, so keep it up._

_Love, George... and Fred._

Zavy's face was aglow at the ending of the letter. Her heart soared at the word love, even though it probably didn't have any meaning to it, just a friendly ending to a letter. But she would get to spend her birthday with two of her dearest friends after all. She wanted to write to him right away, but didn't want to go thru the tedious business of setting up a parchment and quill. She willed a pen and some paper into existance, and began to write her reply. Once she was finished, she sealed an envelope, wrote George Weasley... and Fred on it, and gave it to her little owl, seeing as she wasn't sure poor Errol could make it. She watched out the window until the tiny little white speck was no longer visible.

Fred and George Weasley sat up in their room, putting together one of their inventions. It was a simple toffee that when eaten would make your tongue grow to an undetermined length. They still had yet to perfect it, but the initial plan was to test it out on Harry's cousin Dudley. From what Harry told him, Dudley would snatch the candy up with greedy fingers and not think twice about eating it. They had a month to get it working, but they weren't worried in the slightest.

"Still thinkin' about that letter eh mate?" Fred asked, working on his toffee.

"Did it sound okay? Maybe I shouldn't have put love in there," George fretted, giving up on the candy for the night.

"I'm sure it was fine Forge, it's just a letter. Besides, I think she has some kind of feelings for you."

George looked up hopefully, "You do?"

"Well yeah. Maybe she's just not sure on the bases of the friendship, you guys only started talking again six months ago. Everytime she looks at you, her eyes turn pink, so thats saying something. Not to mention, if the time you kissed her was the way you said it was, I don't think you have much to worry about."

"I thought that way to. But she just acted as if it never happened afterwards. She's really confusing."

"Maybe she's confused herself. Give it more time mate, just don't set yourself up for disappointment. Don't get me wrong, Zavy's a great girl, and I value her friendship. I just don't want the be the one stuck in the middle again when you two have a falling out."

"Yeah... maybe you're right. But I'm smarter anyway, so why should I listen to you? I'm also better looking."

"Not THAT is where your wrong."

The twins were startled when they heard a hooting noise and a tapping at their window. Fred got up and opened it, letting the mini owl inside to soar in circles above their heads.

"Why did she send her owl?" George asked, excited that she replied to his letter.

"Maybe Errol crashed out for good this time?' Fred answered, a little confused himself.

"This owl had quite a distance to cover. I wonder how it made it here so fast?"

"I belive that's why they call it, magic. Now what does the girl of your dreams have to say to us?" Fred asked mockingly. The little owl placed the letter in George's hand. He smiled at her unique printing, seeing the elipse and then Fred's name. He faked looking appalled as George opened the mail, pulling out a letter on paper, written in ink.

_George... and Fred,_

_It's wonderful to hear that you're going to be with me on my birthday._

_Of course my brother and I will be going with you, we haven't even thought of a way to get there or how we'd get back._

_I'm assuming that Charlie is the one who works with dragons, brilliant._

_Bring him by the Leaky Cauldron when he arrives and has the time, I have so much I want to talk to him about._

_I know you love my stench, that's why I wear it for you everyday._

_See you tomorrow._

_Love, Zavy._

_P.S, I'm keeping Errol overnight, keep my owl as well. My people will contact your people, and we'll make the switch._

George smiled at the word love. He lay in his bed, passing the note to Fred, with a goofy grin on his face. He was sure the love thing was probably just a reply from his, but he still coudln't help but feel like it meant something. He was hopelessly in love with this girl, and she was the last thought he had before he drifted off to sleep, only to dream of her.

It was not a busy day, but it wasn't a boring one either. All in all, she was happy to be back to work, with the regulars and the new comers. Zavy was happily cleaning up a table and collecting her tip money at the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the barman was upstairs for the day, and would return at night, relieving her of her shift. At first he insisted to come tomorrow, but Zavy was adamant, and got her wish to work today as well as tomorrow. Brenden sat at the bar, nibbling of some lunch while he drank with Alexandra at his side. Errol the owl was hooting happily in his cage, eating the food he had stolen from Alex.

Green flames in the fireplace announced that someone was coming thru via floo. Two heads full of red hair emerged shortly after, brushing themselves off. The twins looked and spotted Brenden and Alex sitting at the bar. They looked as if they were about to snog, so that would be the perfect interruption. They walked up to the two lovers, who were completely oblivious to their surroundings, and then they bashed heads. The twins erupted in laughter, while ignoring the angry looks they were receiving. Just then, George noticed Zavy come out from the back, wearing a tank top, skirt and her usual boots. Her hair was done up in a messy ponytail, trailing down her neck and over one shoulder. He noticed something about that shoulder. A new tattoo, a phoenix, rising from the flames.

"Well hello strangers, fancy seeing you here," she greeted them, bringing food to a lone customer sitting on the other end of the bar.

"Gee, I wonder why we would be here. Certainly not to see you," Fred replied, taking a seat beside Brenden.

"Funny. Where's my owl?"

"She flew off this morning, so I think she may have returned home," George answered, handing her some money for a drink. She went to get it, and one for Fred, and then sat down on her stool, waiting for another customer.

"She damn well better. And she better not have one feather out of place!" she teased, applying lotion to her tattoo.

"When did you get that one?" Fred asked her.

"Early this morning actually. It was just a random decision, but I think it was worth it," she explained, staring at it.

"It is very nice. How many are you planning on having?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said with a smile, then went to clean up a recently vacated table.

George watched her the whole time. No matter how much he tried, his eyes seemed glued to her, and her graceful moves. Her black hat that was always slanted seemed to give her face a slight mystery, which had her hair that was the colour of the sun cascading down from it and over one shoulder. Her hair wasn't straight, it had ringlets all thru it some days, and just a simple wave on other days. It was the softest and silkiest hair George had every felt, and it always had an odour of coconuts or vanilla... sometimes both. Her skin was soft and fair, the feel of it addicting. Her legs were long, the effect of her boots working perfectly, her waist was slim, but her body had curves in all the right places. Curves that screamed at you if you took the time to notice them, which George never failed to. He could get lost in the elegance of her being, but most of all, he loved her eyes. He loved the way they changed colours, and how the colours swirled around, hypnotizing him, capturing him.

What George and Zavy failed to notice, was the Malfoy family, coming in for a simple dinner. Lucious Malfoy would not normally subject his family to such a place, but a meeting with the Minister meant that he had no choice. Narcissa and Draco sat on either side of him, meaning that Cornelius Fudge would seated in front of them. Zavy was in the back, cleaning up some dishes while this was going on, and the twins were talking amongst themselves, seeing as Brenden and Alex were snogging before looking like they were going to leave.

Zavy came out from the back and noticed the Malfoys. Her face turned kind of pale, but was shadowed by her hat. She never liked the feelings she got from seeing Draco, besides the fact that he was an insufferable git anyway. She had only seen Lucious Malfoy once in her life, and she could tell from that moment he wasn't one who should even notice her, let alone put some pieces together. She knew that he had been a Death Eater, and she knew from instinct that he was not to be trusted. She pulled her hat a little lower on her face and walked to their table, hoping they Draco wouldn't recognize her.

"Y'alright?" she greeted in her best English accent she could muster, though she knew it was off. Speaking normally would definately attract too much attention to her existance.

"Mam, I want this," said Draco, pointing at something on the menu. Zavy rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever you like dear. I know that this place isn't to our usual, but we'll have to make do for the Minister," said his mother. Zavy didn't even like the feeling of her either. She wrote down their orders, and took them to the back to work on them.

George watched her as she was with the Malfoys. He noticed she pulled down her hat, kept her head more downcast than usual and tried to give herself less of an accent. He understood that it'd be better for her to be more inconspicous around former Death Eaters, whether their master was alive or not. Not a soul other than other rich Slytherins trusted the Malfoys in the slightest. His own family were the only pure blooded ones that didn't consist of massive gits. Because of that, they were referred to as "Blood Traitors". George noticed that Lucious was staring at Brenden until he left the pub to the wizard side. He leaned in closer, hoping to catch their conversation, nudging his brother to do the same.

"Narcissa, did you notice that boy had strange amethyst eyes?" Lucious asked his wife, nodding in the direction of Brenden's former seat.

"Yes love, very strange, much like Enid Sumpton," she replied. George silently gasped while trying not to give himself away.

"She became Enid DelCotta if you remember correctly."

"Oh, she was a filthy blood traitor, always thought she was better than everyone. She was a disgrace to Slytherin!"

"Agreed. I just thought it was strange that the boy had such similar eyes and features. Their children are rumoured to be dead. Died in a fire not too long after I killed their parents." George and Fred looked at each other with alarm, and then looked for Zavy. She still had not come out from the back yet.

"At least you wiped out the last of the Sumptons. I don't know who's worse, them or the Weasley's."

"Easy. There just happens to be two of them sitting over there."

"Their probably too dimwitted to do anything, if they can hear us."

"Just the same. We want to look good for the Minister, can't do that if we start a little squabble."

"I think I've heard the name DelCotta around the school dad," said Draco.

George widened his eyes. "Really? Who speaks of them?" Lucious asked.

"The teachers mostly. A few of the older students as well."

"Probably mourning the deaths, and the parents told the stories."

"The waitress looks like she could be related to that boy," Narcissa mused to her husband.

"Possibly. I didn't get a good look at her, I'll have a look when she comes back."

Lucious didn't have to wait long. Zavy emerged from the back carrying three plates of food and setting them down to the owner with ease. George noticed the way he stared at her. She left the table to return with refills for their drinks. She was a little wary, but did her job without making herself look foolish. Then, all of a sudden, she heard a voice in her head.

_You will tell me nothing but the truth. You will speak of this encounter to no one._

Zavy was a bit confused. She felt like she should listen, but she knew who this man was. She refused, his wish, pushing the force of his voice away with her mind and waited, sensing she should stay.

"What is your name miss?" Lucious asked her.

"I'm Alexandra Reid," she answered with confidence. She sensed he must be up to something.

"Do you attend school?"

"Yes, I go to Hogwarts."

"What house are you in?"

"Ravenclaw, sir."

"Pure blood?"

"Yes sir."

"Strange, I've never heard of the Reids before."

"We just moved here from Australia sir."

"Interesting. Any siblings?"

"Just and older sister. She stayed back home with me dad."

"Thank you dear for the food," said Narcissa, deciding it was time to end the conversation. Zavy nodded at them and then walked away. She saw the Minister walk in and then returned to the table to take his order. She gave him a drink, seeing as he ordered no food and then walked back to her seat with the twins.

"I don't like that bloke," she said in a hushed voice to the twins.

"What happened?" George asked, seeing her eyes have a grey cast to them.

"He asked me about my name, where I come from and all that. But it was strange, I heard his voice in my head before he started asking me questions. And the weirder part, is I felt like I had to listen to him, but my brain said it was stupid and I should stick with my instincts."

"What did he say?" asked Fred, taking a drink.

"He said 'You will tell me nothing but the truth. You will speak of this encounter to no one'."

The twins looked at each other, faces filling with hate. She wondered what they could be thinking, as they looked at the Malfoys and then back at each other. Finally, they looked at Zavy. Fred was mad, that was clear, and George looked at her with that strange emotion she always saw, but it was mixed with worry.

"He was trying to imperious you."

* * *

feedback?? please??


	24. Chapter 24

Brenden and Zavy were packing their bags to go and stay with the Weasley`s for a week or so. Since they would be going to the world cup as well, it made sense to be with them and they would be well cared for. Zavy sensed that her god father knew the twins would be going as well as her old friend and Brenden`s girlfriend, Alexandra. This is besides the fact that the event just so conveniently took place on her and her brother`s birthday.

She was excited to see the twins, their last meeting had been strange. Lucious Malfoy had tried the imperious curse on her, which made her think that maybe he suspected that her and her brother were still alive. George had told her that the Malfoys had been talking about their mother, and Zavy clued in, knowing that they had seen Brenden, who had their mother`s eyes. Zacy had somehow managed to push the commands of the imperious curse from her mind. The only thing she knew from this experience was one, Lucious Malfoy was definately a dangerous man, and two, she was getting stronger. Last school year she had succumb to the effects of the cruciatus curse, which was done by an amateur. If she could resist an imperious curse now from most likely a master, then she must be improving in her strength. That made her feel really good about herself and her abilities. Maybe Dumbledore wouldn`t have to push as hard as he once thought he might.

George was up early that day, waiting in anticipation for Zavy to arrive. He felt weird about leaving her alone to work at the pub after last time, but Fred convinced him that if she could resist the imperious curse, then she could take care of herself just fine. Both twins had agreed upon not telling Zavy nor Brenden about the information Lucious had leaked about their parents. He had admitted to his wife in the pub that he killed Zavy and Brenden`s parents. The twins knew that if Zavy or Brenden found out about this, there would be hell to pay. They also assumed that if Dumbledore hadn`t already told them, then there was a good reason for them not to know. George had been really edgy since the incident though. If any one of their enemies had suspected she was alive, that put them in terrible danger.

He was relieved more than anything to know that she would be staying at his house with his family. He knew that no one would disturb her here, and that if someon had even tried, his parents, as well as his two older brothers would be there to fend the perpatrator off. Fred wasn't in the greatest of moods after the Leaky Cauldron himself. In truth, he was kind of jealous that maybe Zavy liked Fred instead of him. The three of them were fast and close friends, he was just hoping that she picked the right twin. Fred assured George that there was nothing but a strong friendship between the two, but sometimes it seemed to George that she shied away when she never used to.

He was sitting on the couch when they arrived at the front door. Mrs. Weasley was there, pulling them both into the her rib braking hug before letting them go put their things away. Since Bill and Charlie were home, and Harry and Hermione were both here, Zavy would be staying in Ginny's room, and Brenden would bunk in Fred and George's room. They walked thru the door and into the living room, not noticing George. He watched as she levitated her bag with ease and proceeded up the stairs to his sister's room. She came downstairs moments later and finaly spotted George. She smiled warmly at him, and took the seat beside him. Both of them felt that strange feeling come over their bodies, a ripple of emotion.

"Your up early," she said, crossing her legs and leaning her head in her hand.

"Yeah..." George trailed, captivated by her. He blinked once and got a hold of himself, "Fred snores."

She laughed, "I'm sure he does. And I don't particularly think you're too innocent either."

George moved a little closer to her unknowingly, "Prat. Any problems since Senior git?"

"No. Just the usual hubbub of customers and random students."

"Good..." He was close to her, his leg touching hers. She was drawn to him, a pull between their bodies. She always was easily lost in his eyes, still searching for what she was always looking at. The crystal at her throat had turned pink, she could tell from her peripherals, which meant that her eyes were also pink. He reached out his hand, and let his long finger run across her cheek. She breathed in, eyes half lidded, anticipating his next move, a kiss.

"'Ello ladies and gents!" Fred announced down the stairs, causing them both to jump to opposite ends of the couch. He was walking down the stairs with Brenden not too far behind him. "Where's the grub?" he asked, looking as if he were Tucan Sam, following his nose into the kitchen.

Zavy heard Brenden let out a chuckle as he followed Fred. She wondered if maybe the two of them knew something that she didn't, and interrupted them like that on purpose. Fred and Brenden seemed to be getting closer in friendship, and she pondered that it might've had something to with when she and George weren't speaking to each other. George got up, extending his hand to help her up and go into the kitchen, where amazing smells semmed to eminate. She took it, smiling and they walked to the kitchen, letting go of each other when someone looked at them.

Bill and Charlie were sitting at the table drinking tea. Mrs. Weasley was busing herself with breakfast while Zavy sat down beside her brother, across from George. She was doing her best to keep the blush on her cheeks at bay. It wasn't just the effects of George, it was also the fact that his two older brothers were very cute themselves. It also didn't help that they were both staring at her curiously.

"George, who's your friend?" Bill asked with amusement. The fang earring bouncing and swaying with his movements.

"Oh, uhh, uhh, this is, Zavy," he said, his face turning as red as his hair. Zavy smiled slightly, pulling her hat a little more over her face.

"Hi," she said in a small voice.

"Y'alright? I'm George's older brother Bill, and this is Charlie. George has told us so much about you."

"Yeah, could barely keep it in his pants the whole time," said Charlie grinning.

Zavy was happy her face was mostly hidden, because she could feel her eyes, necklace and hair turn the same kind of red in embarassment. In George, there was no distinction between skin and hair as he stared at his brother in horror. She worked as well as she could to get her composure back while George remained speechless.

"George tells me your into dragons?" Charlie asked, deciding that fun time was over. Instantly, Zavy was back to normal, and looked at him with blue eyes full of wonder, nodding. "What do you find so facinating about them love?"

"Everything..." she answered, her voice sounding kind of dreamy.

"Have you ever seen one?"

"Not up close and personal. I wish though."

Charlie smiled. He thought she was cute herself, and could see why George fancied her, "Well, maybe one day you can come up to Romania and stay with me for a bit. I'll show you around and teach you a bit about them."

"For real? I'd love that."

"Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

"Just one question. Can they be tamed?"

Charlie pondered her question for a moment. She looked as if she were full of excitement, and he didn't want to let her down, "No one has ever been able to before, so I'm really not sure. They're so big that-"

"Magic doesn't really affect them as much. I know, I read a lot," she laughed a little, cutting him off.

"Now Charlie, don't be a bad influence on the poor girl. It's amazing how she's been such a saint with Fred and George for friends," said Mrs. Weasley, bringing them some lunch.

"OI! We're not that bad," Fred piped up.

"Yeah mam, you could at least give us a little credit," George agreed.

Zavy smiled at their antics, and then blushed slightly because Bill was staring intently at her. She knew he wanted to say something, but didn't want to rush and sound rude. Brenden didn't seem to have a care in the world, and that bothered Zavy.

-What?- he asked in her head.

-How can you be so calm?-

-Not sure. Maybe because I don't fancy anyone in this household-

-Shut it, or I'll make you eat those words- But his voice was gone.

Breakfast was delicious as it always was. Molly Weasley always made the greatest food, and it reminded the DelCotta twins of their late grandmother. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Percy and Mr. Weasley had joined them, Zavy assuming they woke up to the smell of food. The table seemed to be full of chatter. Mr. Weasley and Percy were talking of things at the Ministry, Bill and Charlie were talking with Fred and George, the golden trio and Ginny were in their own conversation, and Mrs. Weasley was speaking with Brenden. After everyone had finished, the dishes hovered to the sink and began to clean themselves. Bill finally spoke up.

"I knew your father," he said carefully. He wasn't sure how the DelCotta twins would react to such a statement.

"We know," they said in unison.

"I'm sorry that he passed away, and your mother. They were great people, your father taught me a lot about the muggle world."

"With all do respect Bill, they didn't pass away. They were murdered," Zavy said, her eyes turning to a steely grey. She wanted to know who killed them, so she could take matters into her own hands. "But I like to hear about them from other people. It seems like we didn't have much time with them."

"How old were you when they died?"

"We were seven. We've been on our own ever since," Brenden supplied. It wasn't easy for either of them to relive those memories. He remembered how hard Zavy took it. They'd been really close since those days. They were all the family eachother had left. If something were to happen to his sister, he'd be all alone in the world, and it worked the same for her.

Zavy woke up in the dark. She was woken up by Mr. Weasley coming into Ginny's room to get the girls up. It was her birthday today, which meant that is was also her brothers birthday, which also meant that today was the World Cup final. The only problem she had was that it was way to damn early to be thinking about anything besides sleep. She heard Hermione and Ginny rustling around in the bedroom, and decided that maybe she should as well so that she didn't fall back asleep.

They all met downstairs for a bit of breakfast that Mrs. Weasley had prepared. Zavy didn't eat much, she was too tired to do anyhting. It wasn't long before they were all ready to go, their bags on their backs. Bill, Charlie and Percy would be apparating, so they got to sleep in, lucky gits. Zavy and Brenden could've apparated themselves, but it was easier this way, seeing as the twins were the only ones that knew about their hidden talent. Mr. Weasley was explaining to Harry about why they had to take the precautionary measure to get to their destination. They were just about ready to set off when Mrs. Weasley was suspicious of the twins.

"What's in your pocket?" she asked George, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing mum," he said casually.

"Accio!" she yelled, causing a few nicely wrapped candies to fly out of his pockets. She didn't stop there, she said the spell more and more, while making them empty their pockets, having candies flying everywhere from places that surprised everyone. Zavy chuckled at their faces, they were so upset. Fred complained about how long it took them to perfect, and Mrs. Weasley went on about how they did so poorly on their O.W.L.S. By the time thier little inventions were empty, they set off into light of day, Fred and George sour about it all.

The walk seemed to take forever. The morning was wearing on before finally, they arrived to their destination. Zavy saw two shadows of people waiting at the top of an overly large hill. Damn England and its rolling hills, nothing like that flat lands of Canada. One of the figure's was waving at them as they approached.

"Over here, Arthur!" bellowed the shorter of the two.

"Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to obviously a friend. They shook hands as the rest of the party made it to where the three stood. As Zavy got a better look, she recognized the taller and younger one to be Cedric Diggory, a now seventh year Hufflepuff, captain of the Quidditch team, also playing seeker. The girls around the school always swooned at him because of his dashing looks, but Zavy, although she did think he was cute, wasn't into him. "This is Amos Diggory," introduced Mr. Weasley, gesturing to him, "And of course you should all know his son Cedric."

"Hi," he said, smiling shyly, looking at Zavy and blushing slightly. She knew that the twins didn't hold Cedric in their highest regards, and she was sure that they didn't like how he looked at her.

George in particular didn't seem to like it. Instinctively, he put a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She was happy she was wearing her hat to hide most of her face, concealing the blush over her cheeks. Amos Diggory and Mr. Weasley conversed for a few more moments, talking of events and pointing out which children were his. He looked at his watch quickly and peered around for others.

"Must be nearly time," said Mr. Weasley, inspecting is watch once more. "Is there others coming or is it just us?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week, and the Fawcetts were unable to get tickets," Mr. Diggory replied.

"Alright. We'd better get ready," Mr. Weasley turned to look at the DelCotta twins, Harry and Hermione, "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all there is to it, just a finger will do."

Eleven bodies laid on the ground around an old boot that was the Portkey. They outstretched their arms, each of them putting a finger on the old boot. Mr. Weasley counted down the time and Zavy, who was sandwiched between Fred and George, was hurled into the air with everyone else. She could swear this was like going thru a portal to the Twilight Zone, and then she felt herself falling to the ground at another destination. She braced herself, but there seemed to be no room. She landed on her feet but fell to the ground in a tumble, Fred and George not helping. When she finally detangled herself from the two of them, sitting on the grass and dusting herself off. She saw Mr. Weasley, Cedric and Mr. Diggory standing there, obviously being used to travelling in such a way.

She noticed him looking at her with a little tinge to his cheeks. He walked over kind of shyly and put his hand out, "Would you like some help up?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Zavy smiled, but it seemed George would have none of that. He grabbed her from behind and lifted her to her feet. Zavy smiled sadly at Cedric, who looked a little hurt, "I'm sorry. But, thanks anyway." He gave her another shy smile before walking away with his father.

Mr. Weasley was counting heads, to make sure everyone had arrived safely. A little bumps and bruises, but over all, no harm done. The Diggory's went their own way while the rest of the party found their feet and proceeded to the entrance. There were muggle's there, and Zavy could tell they had been bewitched, and she could also see what looked like obliviators everywhere. Mr. Weasley took Harry aside to sort out the muggle money. The poor man who was to deal with them started to get suspicious and talking about other people, the effect of the magic wearing off. Suddenly, two obliviators were right at his side, and the party went on, Zavy only looking back once before noticing George fell in step beside her.

They seemed to walk on another horrible journey, walking past many wizarding families. Zavy watched as some kids played on toy brooms, flying a safe distance above the ground, chasing each other. She stopped for a moment to observe them further, and a memory seemed to sweep her off her feet. Out in the backyard, back in Canada, on the big tree, one of the biggest she'd ever seen hung a tire swing. Her mom and dad were out there, working on the garden and playing with her and her brother, while they swung on the swing. Something strange happened, and Zavy flew off and into the tree. At first, her dad thought Brenden pushed her off, but then her mom was there, explaining to him, whispering in his ear, and everything was alright again. That maybe was one of the few times they had made a strange thing happen, that first time their powers had inadvertedly exposed themselves.

She then felt a finger, warm to the touch, wipe underneath her eye. She was snapped back to reality and realized she had let a tear fall. She looked next to her and there was George, eyes full of concern. He was questioning, until he looked in the direction she was, and some kind of understanding passed over his features. Family, something she had been deprived of since she was little, so close to her, yet she could not have it back, no matter how much she tried. He waited until she was ready to move, and thankfully, it wasn't that long, before he put an arm around her, and lead her to the camp site.

It was a decent little plot of land, Mr. Weasley was very happy with it. He insisted they set the tents up by hand, seeing as there were many muggles about. Zavy and Brenden looked at each other, remembering when they went camping on a school trip back in Canada. They were only ten years old, but they remembered how to set up a tent, and therefore, took over with the preparations. Hermione helped to the best of her ability, but it was obvious she had never been camping before, and knowing Harry's past, he hadn't either. It didn't take long for them to set the two tents up, seeing as both twins cheated a bit.

From the outside, Zavy wondered how in the hell they were all going to fit comfortably into two tents. But she walked into the girls tent and saw that it was nearly as big as a flat. It had a kitchen, table, beds, carpet, it was bloody brilliant. She dropped her bag on the bed that was farthest from the other two, just for courtesy. While she was friends with Hermione and Ginny, the two of them seemed to be closer to each other, and she thought that maybe they didn't want to be too split up.

She walked outside the tent and found the twins with their dad, talking to a stranger. Percy, Bill and Charlie had arrived just in time for some lunch, and they were also standing around there. She walked over to them, standing beside Fred and Bill. They were talking about the match, the man she discovered to be Ludo Bagman, was taking bets. Fred and George seemed to be counting up their funds.

"Any other takers?" Bagman asked, looking at the other boys.

"We'll bet thirty-seven galleons, fifteen sickles and three knuts that Ireland will won, but Krum will get the snitch. Oh, and we'll throw in a fake wand," said Fred, as he handed the money over.

"I don't think Mr. Bagman is into any of your rubbish-" Percy began, but was cut off by the roar of laughter of Mr. Bagman. He had tested the wand and watched as it turned into a rubber chicken.

"That's brilliant that is, I'd pay five galleons for it!" he exclaimed. "Alright, Ireland will win, but Krum will get the snitch? Very well, although, I don't think you boys have a chance. I'll throw in the five galleons for the wand."

"Boys, I don't want you betting, that's all of your savings, and your mother-" Mr. Weasley began.

"Don't be a spoilsport Arthur, it's all in good fun," said Bagman, handing George a piece of parchment and then bidding them farewell.

Zavy was climbing the massive amounts of stairs with the party to their seats in the stands. This was a huge event, and they had good seats, she just wished that maybe the wizards could be more like muggles and maybe have an esculator, or maybe even an elevator? When they reached their seats, Zavy was a little awe struck at how high they actually were. Brenden was beside her, looking out into the vast emptiness that would soon be filled with players.

She sat in her seat, beside Fred and George, Brenden looking around for no doubt his girlfriend, Alexandra. He spotted her two row behind and went to sit with her. The Minister for magic was a couple rows in front, talking with the Bulgarian Minister, though, with little luck. Then to Zavy's horror, the Malfoy family came up to where the Minister was.

"Ah, here's Lucious!" Zavy heard the Minister say. It seemed as if every head in the row turned to look at him, like a bomb had gone off. Instinctively, Zavy pulled her hat over her face once again, and George for the third time that day, put a protective arm around her and pulled her closer. Lucious and the Minister were exchanging pleasantries for a bit, Zavy pretty much hiding herself in George. She was happy that he was sitting on the side farther from the Malfoys.

"-and you know Arthur Weasley I daresay...?" the Minister went on. Zavy peeked a bit at the two, remembering the story the twins had told her about their last encounter in Diagon Alley. She could feel Malfoy looking at all of them, and could feel his stare on her for a few moments. _Please just look past me._

"Good lord Arthur," he spoke softly, "what did you have to sell to get up here? Surely your house couldn't cover it?"

Fudge was clearly oblivious to his comment, "Lucious just donated a heafty amount to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," he informed Mr. Weasley.

"How nice..." he replied, forcing a smile on his face and then turning his attention to Ginny.

Zavy couldn't believe that match was over so quickly. Okay, it wasn't that quick, but it felt like it had just started when it ended. Fred and George were right, Ireland had won, but Krum caught the snitch. They took Zavy to look for Bagman, so they could get their money from him. It was late, but it seemed as if the whole park was up celebrating, cheering and just having fun. Fred stopped, spotting Angelina and having a small chat with her. George grabbed Zavy's hand and pulled her away from them for a moment, leaning in and kissing her passionately.

Zavy was shocked at first, but soon let the spell wash over her, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. The sweet chaste of her lips made him hunger for more than just a kiss, but it wasn't time yet. He pulled away from her slowly, leaving her dissatisfied. He looked at her in the eye, not being able to see much in the dark.

"Happy birthday," he whispered in her ear, making a shiver run down her spine. She was about to pull him in for another kiss when there was an explosion. Fred ran to where they stood as another one came.

"We've got to get to the tents!" he exclaimed, grabbing them both and trying to pile thru people. Zavy found this to be completely useless and pulled them aside for a moment.

"What are you doing?!" George asked, looking anxiously in the direction his family was.

"Be still," was all she said. She concentrated hard, grabbing the twins arms and then, she disapparated. It took a lot more focus to do this, seeing as she was carrying two other people with her. They appeared in front of the tent, Mr. Weasley going into the girls tents to get Ginny and Hermione. Zavy felt dizzy, and fell to the ground.

"Dad, what's going on?" George asked when he re emerged outside.

"Fred, George, take care of Ginny, we've got to get out of here, NOW!" he told them, rushing back into the other tent. Bill, Charlie and Percy were out in a flash, walking towards the source of the chaos. George helped Zavy up, holding her arm as he ran with Ginny and Fred in the opposite direction. It was no good, there was someone there who decided to try and send a stunning spell at them. Zavy, who could barely run without tripping (thank Merlin for George), mustered up enough energy to shield them. The wizard in the pointy hat wearing a mask stared at them, and then tried again. She blocked it once more, this time, grabbing Fred and Ginny, as well as George and concentrating once more. She knew Brenden was with Alex, so she had to find a way to get the rest to safety.

She concentrated as hard as she could, blocking the spells from the wizard and then, for the second time, she disapparated. They were closer to the entrance, where there wasn't so much panic in the woods. She gasped for air, horribly tired and weak from apparating three people this time. Two was hard enough, but adding an extra body really took it out of her. The darkness was taking over her, but she vaguely saw a shadow, a little shadow off in the distance. She saw a light come from it, and then green errupted in the sky, and she could only recognize from her books what she was seeing. The dark mark was the last thing she saw before she let herself become unconcious.

* * *

feedback?


	25. Chapter 25

Zavy woke up in Ginny's bed. The sun shone brightly in her eye and she moved away, her head aching. She looked over and saw that Brenden was there, hovering over her slightly. He looked relieved and exhausted at the same time, showing a tiny smile on his face. She returned his smile, about to question what happened when Fred and George burst thru the door, she could swear trying to be as noisy as possible. She rubbed her head, not liking this pain and stretched out, feeling the sores in her back.

"You're awake!" George exclaimed, walking to her bedside. She kept her eyes closed, sighing deeply. Yes, she was awake, but she was exhausted still, and still wondering what had happened. She opened them slowly, looking at the twins.

"What's up?" she said sleepily.

"Mum wants you to drink this," said Fred, handing her a cup. He let go when her hand had grabbed it, but the weight of it made her drop it and spill it all over. She groaned, rolling her eyes upward.

"You're probably still weak Z," said Brenden, vanishing the mess and filling the cup once more with a mere thought. He created a straw and held it out for her to drink.

"Probably? Most definately you clot," she said, taking a drink and making a disgusted face.

"Well, at least you've still got your wits about you," he replied, chuckling a bit and putting the cup down on the bed side table.

"How are you feeling?" George asked tentatively, taking a seat on the bed at her feet.

"What do you think?" she asked, annoyed at such a silly question.

"My bad. Are you okay?"

She gave him a thumbs up, propping her pillows a bit so sit up. "What happened?" she asked the three of them. They all looked at each other for a moment, and then Fred spoke up.

"We were at the final, collecting our money from Bagman and then talking with Angelina. That's when the Death Eaters attacked-"

"Death Eaters?"

"The followers of You-Know-Who," George answered, placing a hand on her ankle and rubbing it over the blanket.

"What were they doing there?" said Zavy, feeling her eyes change colour at his touch.

"We don't know. But they attacked the muggle's and muggle borns. We were on our way to the tents, and you apparated George and I there faster, but I wasn't paying attention."

"It took a lot out of you, you collapsed for a moment," George explained.

"We had to get out, dad put us in charge of Ginny and we ran with the crowd. One of the Death Eaters tried to attack us, and you blocked him, and then apparated the four of us further into the forest, away from most of the commotion, that's when you passed out," Fred finished his story.

"You're a true idiot. After that first apparition, you used your life energy, nearly killing yourself!" Brenden accused her.

"I had to make sure everyone else was alright. You can fuck yourself, I didn't see you around helping anyone!" she snapped at him. How could he be so horrid like this?

"I came back and watched you apparate the three of them! I didn't know where you were going!"

"You know how to find me! You didn't even try! Don't get mad at me because you weren't there. At least I put more of an effort! You were too busy with your girlfriend!"

"Forgive me for finally not feeling alone anymore!" Brenden snapped at her, but it was too late to take it back. He knew he didn't mean that.

"Alone?! How dare you say you've been alone! Get out, and I'll SHOW you the meaning of loneliness. Go on, OUT! If I had the strength, I'D leave instead!" she fumed at him. What was she to him anyway? Chopped liver? _Alone my ass! _Brenden apparated out of there, probably going back to the flat, or Alexandra's. "What are you lot looking at?!" she accused the twins, who were staring awe struck at the scene they had just witnessed. They shook their heads, Fred leaving the room, George staying put.

Fred walked to the room he shared with George, surprised. He opened the door to find Brenden, cleaning and packing his things. Fred cleared his throat, making his presence known. Brenden looked over, nodded at him, and resumed packing. Fred went to sit on his bed, unsure of what he should do or say to the boy. It wasn't really his business, but he felt useless not doing anything about it. Brenden shut the lid to his trunk and folded his cot, putting it against the wall. He turned to Fred, wondering how to begin.

"Just make sure she gets her rest. I'm sorry for all of this," he said.

"No worries mate. But I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to," Fred replied, standing up.

"No, probably not. But I wouldn't worry. She needs some space, and I really shouldn't have said that to her, but I lost myself in anger. Us DelCotta's are full of fire you know."

"Don't need to tell me twice. She'll be fine, George and I will look after her, as well as the rest of the family. Check in at least."

"Well, I'm going to stay with Alex. Zavy will want to go home eventually, and I think it's best if I'm not there. She's right, we have a way of contacting each other, so if she needs me, she'll call. Cheers," said Brenden, before he apparated away. Fred sighed, out of boredom. He understood only too well being a twin himself.

Zavy and George sat in silence. He didn't want to leave her, but he didn't want to say anything that would upset her. She didn't really want him to leave, but wasn't sure how to start a conversation after making a scene. She rolled to her side, feeling the warmth of his hand thru the blanket of her calf. It was amazing how just his proximity calmed her down so much, and she was grateful for it. After hearing the events of the other night, she recalled them all vividly in her head. She knew she was using her life force, but it was necessary. She also knew that Brenden didn't mean what he said, that he was just worried that she would leave him and he would truly be alone.

Although her anger was dissapating, she remembered a green image in the sky, one that scared her, the Dark Mark. The Death Eater's had come to the Final, but why? Had they discovered who she was? That her and her brother were still alive? If so, then they would've targeted her and not just muggle's. She sighed, wishing her thoughts would go away.

"Zavy..?" George asked in that soft voice that made her insides scream.

"Hm?" she acknowledged, turning to look at him.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I'm scared George. Death Eaters, and the dark mark. My god father said that there is a possibility that Voldemort will return to power. And if he does... he'll come for us. I'm not strong enough yet, I can't even handle a measly side-long apparition!" she let a tear fall, hating herself for it. George had seen her cry one too many times for her liking. She couldn't help it, just because a bogguart said she didn't fear anything, didn't mean that it was true, she cried, hiding her face in her pillow. She felt George's weight shift on the bed, and when she dared to look, tears still falling, his face was right next to hers. He kissed her forehead, wiping her tears with his thumb and cupping her cheek. It made her cry more, and she hid her face in his neck, feeling his arm come around her protectively. How could he be like this?

"I'm so pathetic, I don't know why you waste your time," she sobbed. Instantly, he pulled her back looking into her eyes, surprising her.

"Never say such things love. Your not a waste of my time, you're very important to me. If he does indeed rise again, you'll be ready to face him, and so will your brother, and the rest of us won't let you go without a fight. It's very well known that he fears Dumbledore, you'll be safe under his care, that's what your parents wanted anyway. Besides, you get stronger everyday," he told her seriously.

She was speechless. She felt silly now, thinking such stupid things, but felt better. The intensity of his gaze made her kind of nervous, but she couldn't look away, she was trapped. George observed as her eyes changed to that pink colour, with red swirling around, hypnotizing him. Damn the temptation, and he kissed her sofly. She would have none of that, and pulled him as close as her strength would allow her. She was addicted to this feeling, much like a drug, and wondered how she was able to resist so much the whole time. She nipped his bottom lip, sending a wave of emotion thru his body, causing his hand to run down her body. He felt the curve of her bum, before squeezing the perfect handful, her leg coming to wrap around him. Her free hand slid under his shirt, running sofly over his bare skin, causing him to shudder in pleasure.

She could faintly hear foot steps, but was unsure, until there was a knock at the door. She rolled away while George pulled himself into a sitting position, refusing to stand for a very obvious reason. Mrs. Weasley opened the door, while the two of them tried to regain their composure, controlling their breathing and what not. She brought in a tray of food, oblivious to the state of the two, but smiling at Zavy.

"Here you are dear. Do try and eat it all up, I'm very relieved to have you back with us," she said cheerily, walking out of the room and closing the door. Once they were sure she was out of ear shot, they began to laugh, Zavy feeling much better than before. She began to nibble at her food, the fork feeling heavy in her hand. She was very aware of George staring at her, and was afraid he was going to say something, something her heart yearned for, but could not have now.

"Zavy..." there is was, in that voice that was so hard to resist, "I was thinking... well, maybe, I don't know..."

"George, I can't. I mean, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that, I have too much on the line, so much to worry about. I just don't think it would be best right now..." she told him in a small and sad voice. She did not look at him, for the fear of caving in, but he grabbed her hand, reassuring her that everything was alright.

"I understand," he said, before leaving her to her thoughts, heading for his room. Her chest felt heavy, like there was something weighing her down. She should be thrilled at the knowledge of him fancying her, but it hurt to have to let him go like that. She began to cry silently, her food uneaten and forgotten.

George stood at the door for a moment, hearing a silent sob before deciding to leave the area. His heart had a hole in it, the girl he loved had turned him down. He never really expected it to be like this, he thought maybe she would've said yes. He hung his head on the way to his bedroom, opening the door slowly incase either Fred or Brenden were on the other side of it. He opened the door completely, waiting for it to bump into the cot. When it didn't, he looked up to see the cot had vanished, and only Fred sat on his bed.

George flopped on his bed, not saying a word to his twin. He faced the wall, not really wanting to look at him either. How could he be so foolish? He should've seen this coming. Why did this hurt so badly? So many questions racing thru his mind, and yet... all the answers seemed to be with them, although, he didn't want to listen to them.

"You told her didn't you?" Fred asked, breaking the silent musing going on in his head.

"Yeah..." he trailed vacantly.

"Well, what did she say?"

"Are you blind? Obviously if I'm not jumping for joy then it didn't go over too well," George replied, turning over to face Fred.

"Just tell me what she said."

"She said that she has too much to worry about and that it wouldn't be best right now."

"Then it's not a complete loss."

"How so?"

"If she said it wouldn't be best right now, then there's hope for the future. Give her time right now, she's scared and confused, not to mention pretty exhausted. I don't think anyone would fancy the feelings they get after using life force."

George smiled a bit, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Course I am."

Zavy awoke from her nap when Ginny, Harry and Hermione entered the bedroom. She was a little jumpy since the knowledge of Death Eaters at the cup was flowing thru her head, and she saw the dark mark right before they walked in. She rolled over to acknowledge them.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," said Ginny, going thru her dresser drawer's.

"It's alright Gin. I wasn't really sleeping anyway," Zavy replied, sitting herself up.

"Are you feeling alright?" Hermione asked, sitting on the cot she slept in.

"Yeah, just tired."

"We heard that you were using your life energy to fend off the Death Eaters," said Harry, taking a seat beside Hermione.

"Yeah, I did. But it was necessary."

"I've been meaning to ask you. Did you see anyone before the dark mark appeared?"

"Now that you mention it. I could see a little figure in the shadows, a light shot from it, and that's about when I passed out. Why do you ask?"

Harry gulped, "Well, it was Winky, Barty Crouch's house elf. I dropped my wand, and she found it, and used it to conjure the dark mark. But, I think she's innocent, and I don't know how to defend her, so I thought maybe you might've seen something different..."

"It was dark Harry, and I was seeing stars as it was. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

"Bollocks to that Zavy, you pretty much saved me and my brothers from the Death Eater that was trying to attack us. You were a huge help," said Ginny in a fierce voice. Zavy smiled at the girl, taking her words to heart.

Zavy didn't stay too long after most of her strength returned. It was maybe three days later that she was packing her things to go home. Hermione had gone back home the day after she woke up, and Harry would be staying for the rest of the summer. Zavy was hoping her brother would be home, but highly doubted it, seeing as they hadn't spoken since she told him to leave. To make matters worse, her and George barely spoke the whole time, leaving Fred feeling horribly akward in the middle when the three of them hung out. And so, as she bid the Weasley's and Harry farewell, she translocated her things to her flat, and then proceeded with the hugs. She thanked Molly and Arthur for everything, and shared a short akward hug with George before apparating away. There was no use in hiding her talent, seeing as the family knew about it since the cup.

She appeared in her living room of her flat, surprised to see Brenden sitting by the fire. She moved her things to her bedroom, and saw that Alexandra was sleeping in his bed, clearly without any clothes on. She shielded her eyes and closed the door with her will, setting her things down and willing them to put themselves in their proper places. She went to grab a drink, and then sat down across from Brenden near the fire. They sat in silence, neither of them really knowing where to begin, but enjoying the company nonetheless.

Zavy sighed, "I'm sorry I freaked on you man, but it was pretty hurtful what you said..."

"I know, I didn't mean it. I was just scared, you could've died yet again. I should've worded it better, I love Alex, she fills that void we both have from being alone all the time. But if you died, then it's a whole different feeling. I'm sorry," he replied, closing his book.

"At least we don't fight like we used to," she let out a chuckle. She heard a creak in the floor and looked over to see Alex standing in Brenden's doorway wearing nothing but the sheet that was on his bed.

"Zavy?" she questioned, widening her eyes in realization.

"Hey lady, why don't you please do my eyeballs a favour and put some clothes on?"

"R-right," she said, her face turning red and walking back in the bedroom.

"Oh, I don't think so just yet," said Brenden playfully, running after her.

"Don't forget to practice safe sex!" Zavy called after them, feeling like she was going to vomit.

Brenden and Zavy had just returned from getting their school things. They both had the day off and decided it was best to take advantage of it. After she had put her things away, she saw an owl at the window, one she didn't recognize. She opened the window and it flew to the island in the kitchen, dropping a letter there. She opened it, not knowing who it could be from.

_Zavy,_

_I know this is early, but I'm kind of busy and don't know when I'll be able to write again._

_There is an even taking place at Hogwarts this year, and I don't know if you've already heard of it, Dumbledore being your god father and all but,_

_In about three months, I'll come looking for you at Hogwarts, there is something I know you're dying to see._

_Hope all is well._

_Charlie Weasley._

_p.s, Hurry and make up with my brother, he misses you terribly already._

Zavy put the letter down, pondering what it was talking about. She assumed it had something to do with dragons, seeing as she and Charlie had many conversations about them during her stay at the Weasley house hold. That was about three weeks ago, she would see George on the train in a couple days, and not let this conflict get between them any longer. She wrote to him once, but was upset that he didn't send a reply back, but understood that he was hurt. She saw it in his eyes. The sound of a crack made her jump, and she saw her god father standing in the living room, clearly having just apparated there.

"Albus!" she said, running to give the old man a hug. "Not to be rude, but, what are you doing here?" she asked, running to the kitchen to make him some tea. Brenden joined them, sitting on one of the stools.

"Dropping in to see you two, and of course, I have some things I need to discuss with you," he replied cheerily, accepting the tea she offered to him. "Thank you. Now, this year at Hogwarts is going to be a very special one. I'm not supposed to disclose this to the students, but you are also my god children, the rules don't apply in those terms," he began, winking at his last statement, "There is an event that is going to take place, that if one is to enter, will grant that witch or wizard with eternal glory. It's the Tri Wizard Tournament, and it's going to be hosted at Hogwarts this year. As such, studends from Durmstrang school in Bulgaria and Beauxbatons in France will be attending Hogwarts to participate in this event.

"In addition to this, I would like to ask you two not to participate. It's very dangerous, and people die in this tournament. I do have a task for you though. I'd like you this year to made connections with the merpeople in the Black Lake. There are very few who speak mermish, and I think that having this skill will be usefull to the two of you should the time present itself. Furthermore, I'd also like you to get on good terms with the centaurs. They're proud creatures that do not usually accept humans, but from what Professor McGonagall tells me, you should be able to handle it.

"Now, I heard about the events of the World Cup. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, but as you understand, there was lots of ministrative things to take care of. It's good to see that you two are alright and not fighting anymore. It's important that you stick together, and keep the ones you love close to you. Zahava in particular, why did you turn the poor Weasley boy down?"

Zavy visibly cringed at the question. She sighed before answering, "I just don't think it's a good idea, seeing as I'm constantly in danger, hiding from everyone. What kind of life is that for someone who wants to make a joke shop? To have his name known?"

"On the contrary Zahava, you're name is very well known, and I think that you just need to remember how one of such great importance makes you feel. I think it'll be very good for you to reconsider your decision."

Zavy sighed again, "Maybe. But he doens't seem like he's into it anymore. I haven't recieved a letter back since I left there nearly a month ago."

"I believe that is my fault Zahava. People were noticing many owls around here, and seeing as it's mosly vacant on the outside, I headed off the owls for a bit," said Dumbledore, reaching into his robes and pulling out four letters in George's writing, "I did make sure to keep them until I could deliver them personally."

Zavy took the letters from him, kind of annoyed, but understood his reasoning behind it. She tore open the oldest looking one, reading it to herself.

_Zavy,_

_I'm sorry I might've been kind of forward, it's not your fault._

_I understand what your saying, and I'm willing to wait if that's what it takes._

_Please write back soon._

_Love, George._

_Zavy,_

_I hope stupid Errol is getting these to you._

_I also hope you're not too upset, but then again, you did write first._

_Before Bill and Charlie left, they were saying something about an event at Hogwarts._

_What do you think it could be?_

_Bloody prats wouldn't tell us._

_Love, George._

_Zavy, _

_I sent Pig this time, not sure if you got my other two letters._

_Me and Fred are almost done a good stock to start testing on students this year at Hogwarts._

_Oh, and can you believe that Bagman gave us leprocaun gold? That bloody git!_

_We'll be going after him for sure._

_Hope to hear from you soon._

_Love, George._

_Zavy,_

_You're either ignoring me, or working a lot lately._

_But since I know I'm totally irresistable, you must be working a lot._

_I might try and send one more letter if I don't hear from you first, if not, then I guess I'll jsut see you on the train._

_It figures that the day we go to Diagon Alley, you aren't working._

_Well anyway, see you soon._

_Love, George._

Zavy smiled at the contents of all the letters. She suddenly felt very foolish for rejecting George, wondering how she was able to pull it off. She decided instead to wait until they saw each other at King's Cross station, ready to board the train before she would do anything about her foolishness. Dumbledore smiled knowingly at her, before taking his leave, wishing them luck this year. Things were definately going to change.

* * *

i would like to say, thanks to my readers. i would also like to ask for maybe a bit of feedback, to know if i'm going in a good direction or not? right now, i'm covering the beginning, before the story really starts to unfold. thank you for reading


	26. Chapter 26

George was sitting in a compartment with his twin Fred. They had arrived early for once, and it was boring to watch everyone show up and board the train. It was probably because he saw so many newer students, or it was because the person he was looking for wasn't there yet. She hadn't written to him since she had left his house. He was worried about it, worried that maybe he had scared her away, or that she was ignoring him. He continued his gaze out the window, oblivious that Lee Jordan had walked into their compartment. He and Fred were having a conversation while George searched for her, for Zavy.

Every slightly tall blond caught his eye, but they weren't the one he was looking for. He was amazed at how many blonds there suddenly were. Why were they turning up now all of a sudden? The time for departure was drawing nearer, and he was afraid maybe he had missed her. But then, there she was, apparting to the station with her trunk, her brother right beside her. His breath was causing the window to go foggy and he wiped it away impatiently. As if she knew he was looking, she turned to see him staring at her, a smile appearing on her face. She winked at him and boarded the train. Something strange came over him just then. He wanted to run to her, so he got up, and walked out of the comparmtent, ignoring the questioning looks of Fred and Lee. He stood in the doorway, and there she was, down the hallway a bit. She ran at him, and he wasn't sure what he should do. When she reached him, she used his shoulders as leverage and jumped up. Instinctively, he was there to support her, as she wrapped her legs around him. She kissed him soundly on his lips, and that was something he most definately was not expecting.

The kiss was as passionate as any others they had shared. Only, since George was not expecting it, he took a couple steps back against the compartment door, steadying himself. She held on tight, making sure he didn't have to think, but to just feel. She was trying to make him feel what she had been feeling for months. He could feel it, and gave into his own, feeling like he wouldn't have to let her go this time, that she was giving herself to him. She pulled back, leaving his cheeks flustered. He gazed into her eyes, the colour of pink and a bit of orange, becoming trapped in them.

"I have something to tell you," she said in a barely audible voice. Her breath hot on his face, smelling like some toothpaste she had used.

"What?" he whispered back.

"You know how you had some kind of strange impulse to come out here?"

"Yeah...?"

"I've been working on putting ideas into people's heads, and not only did it work, but I got to do this as well," she explained beaming at him.

"Do what?"

To answer that question, she kissed him once more, their senses reeling. It did not last very long however, as she suddenly became very aware of people staring at them snog in the hallway. She lowered herself down, both of them keeping their arms around each other, not looking at anyone else either. The compartment door opened abruptly, George and Zavy tumbling inside while Fred and Lee howled at the two of them. They were in a very compromising position, sitting there for a moment before remembering to stand. Zavy had a small blush on her cheeks as she held out her hand to help George up. Fred and Lee were still laughing and Zavy swatted at them before taking a seat beside him.

The sorting ceremony was boring as it was every year to Zavy. She had never been sorted in front of everyone like all the other students, she was sorted in front of Brenden and her god father in his office, so therefore, she did not see the great importance of it, until she heard the name, "Mark Mann", he being Alexandra's little brother starting his first year here. He was sorted into Hufflepuff and went to sit with his sister, who Zavy noticed looked as if she had been crying. The feast began as it always did with excitement and whispers, old friends catching up, and students making new ones. Zavy absently looked over at her friend while joking around with the twins and Lee. She then looked at her brother, who wore a face of equal sorrow. It was when people were barely picking at their food that Dumbledore stood up, ready to make his speech.

"Welcome, welcome to and back to Hogwarts. I have a few things to say, first off, this year there will be no Quidditch, due to an event taking place at Hogwarts in October. It will be continuing throughout the year and will take much of the teacher's attention and time, but I am sure you will enjoy it emensly. I have the great pleasure to annouce that Ho-"

But Dumbledore was cut off by a loud crash of thunder, the source being the enchanted ceiling. The doors to the Great Hall swung open at that moment and a shadowed figure stood at the doorway. He approached the teachers table, every other step the sound of metal on floor occurred. Students were whispering all around, but Zavy already knew who this man was. He approached Dumbledore and shook hands, taking a seat beside Hagrid.

"This is Alastor Moody, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Now, as I was saying. Eternal Glory. That is what the witch or wizard will have after competing in one of the most amazing events in the history of wizarding kind. The Tri-Wizard Tournament!"

After those words, students began to whisper excitedly, the twins saying their famous "Wicked". Dumbledore held up his hand, silencing the Hall. Everyone fell silent once more, facing an object that had just appeared into the Hall. Quite suddenly the doors to the Hall opened once again. "Ah, it is my great honor to welcome the lovely students from the Beauxbatons school, and their Headmaster, Madam Maxime." The first thing Zavy noticed, was that they were mostly girls. The other aggrivating fact, was that every boy (including George) was staring at them. Their attention was caught up in them, like they could look at nothing else. Even her brother, who seemed to take himself out of whatever thoughts he was in, was looking at them with rapt attention. After they did some strange dance, they sat down at the front of the Ravenclaw table, Zavy noticing the boys were looking pretty sullen about it.

"And now let us welcome our friend from Durmstrang school, and their Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff," Dumbledore announced, as the doors opened for yet the third time that hour. Boys walking in a line entered thru them, wearing furs on their heads and robes. They all had that same look of determination and what Zavyt noticed, annoyance. Igor Karkaroff was quite obviously someone Zavy instinctively knew to stay away from. Zavy could only hear Ron's squeal of "Krum", before they sat down at the Slytherin table. She could hear Hermione muttering something about "bad" and "dark arts".

"Now, as I was saying. Eternal Glory. That is what awaits one of the three champions who compete in this tournament. The champions must complete three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. Do not take this lightly, people have died before in this tournament. Because of this, the rules have changed a bit. No one under seventeen is allowed to enter this-" but he was cut off by the younger students cries of "Rubbish!" He waited calmly for them to settle down and then raised his hand to silence the rest, "This is for your safety. Now, to enter this tournament, simply write your name and school on a piece of parchment and throw it into the goblet of fire."

After he said those last three words, the strange object beside him started to glow and it looked as if it were going to disappear. The cover came off, and what laid before them was a giant goblet, with a blue flame burning on top of it. Everyone stared at it in awe, as the flames mesmerized the room. Zavy looked over at the twins, and could tell by the looks on their faces that they were up to something. Probably thinking of a way to enter under Dumbledore's nose. She felt kind of strange and looked over at the teachers table. She saw Mad-eye Moody's strange eye boring into her. She stared at it, getting the feeling that she should be wary of him, but her brain was contesting about that thought. She already knew this man, had him eat dinner in her flat. There was no way that there could be anything dangerous about him... right?

Dumbledore continued to speak to the students, as Zavy tore her gaze from Moody's strange eye. The twins had the mischievous glint in their eyes, and they had their heads together, a plan in the making. But she was not interested in the twins at this particular moment. She wanted to know something, something that happened quite recently to two people very important to her.

-Whats going on?- she asked in Brenden's head.

-What ever do you mean?- came his dull reply.

-Are you daft? Even the voice in your head says something's wrong. Now tell me-

-I... broke up with Alex...-

She gasped-But why?-

-She cheated on me... Don't know how long she's been doing it, but I caught her in a compartment on the train-

-WHAT?!-

-Yeah...-

-With who?-

-Cedric Diggory, only there was a catch to it-

-Go on?-

-She had taken a polyjuice potion, so she wasn't herself... she was... Oh blast it, I'll just show you!-

Zavy relaxed her mind, letting the images of Brenden's memory wash over her. She appeared at King's Cross station, on platform nine and three quarters, she looked over and saw herself, looking at George in the window. She felt the silent whisper of her power being used, only noticing it because she knew it was there. She walked onto the train, lucky enough to make it on board before the doors closed. She walked passed the twins compartment, ignoring George, who was getting up to come out. She walked down passed Luna Lovegood and came to a compartment with the blinds down. She could sense the person she was looking for in there, Alexandra. She wondered why the blinds were shut, and why there was magic all around the door. She placed her hand on the knob, dismissing the wards with her will, and pulled the door to the side. What she saw shocked her, but she felt Brenden horribly enraged at it. There, plain as day, was Cedirc Diggory and with him did not look like Alexandra, but instead was Zavy, herself. Her knickers were half down, her shirt gone, her robes crumpled on the floor, mixed with his.

"What are you two playing at?" She demanded, a little startled that her words came out in a manly voice. The two looked guiltily at each other before looking back at her.

"I'm so sorry, Brenden, I mean, I know she's your sister-"

"That is NOT my sister, that is my girlfriend, now becoming EX-girlfriend who seems to look like my sister!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"That is NOT my sister!"

"I don't understand..."

"Then I'll explain, my sister is currently snogging George Weasley in front of their compartment down the hall over there. If you don't believe me, have a look," she said in Brenden's voice, pointing down to where she was indeed having a great snog with George. Cedric got up, not even bothering to put on his shirt and walked to where a small crowd of people started to form. The look a like Zavy, Alexandria, was still sitting there, tears starting to fall down her face. Zavy stood there, and looked at her, not caring a shred, her heart breaking in to millions of little pieces.

"Brenden..." she croaked thru her sobs, reaching out a hand.

Zavy shook her head, "No. It's done," she said firmly, closing the door and walking to sit with Luna Lovegood.

-Wow. I really don't know what to say to that bro, and I'm very livid right now- Zavy spoke into her brothers mind after coming back to reality.

-Just let it be. It's my issue-

-Uhm, my face was very clearly in that!-

-Please?-

Zavy sighed in his head-Anything for you bro-

She was sitting in the Great Hall, a week of school feeling like a month already. Zavy hated how things were getting so serious, she had to think of an occupation, something she'd want to continue to do in her future to survive in the world. It wasn't very easy, there was so much to choose from, and since she excelled in every class, she could pretty much do anything. She greatly enjoyed the healing arts, but did not want to work in the hospital. She had the option of being an Auror, but she didn't want to hunt down evil wizards, unless it was the person who killed her parents. How was she supposed to choose from everything? She would have to decide soon, this was after all, her second last year. She felt a presence approaching her, and turned to see Cedric Diggory walking up to her, staring at her.

"Hey Zavy..." he said cautiously.

"Cedric," she replied in monotone.

"Look, that thing that happened on the train. I just want to say I'm sorry. I didn't know, I thought she was you, and I didn't know about you and George."

"S'alright. It's not really your fault. And, there isn't a me and George, were just... I'm not really sure what we are actually, it's actually kind of complicated," she blushed a bit thinking about it.

"I understand. Their planning something to enter, aren't they? Fred and George I mean."

"Yeah, they got me to brew up and aging potion. I know it won't work, but it doesn't hurt to amuse them."

"I'm entering myself. Got my name right here," he told her, holding up his hand that contained his piece of parchment with his name and school written on it.

"It's pretty dangerous Ced, but good luck to you. I'd like to see Hogwarts win," she smiled at him. He returned her smile and walked towards the goblet, passed the aging line and put his name into the burning blue fire. It turned red for a moment, and then back to blue. He walked away with a last glance at her, joining a group of Hufflepuffs standing off to the side. She was about to go find the twins when they burst threw the doors, cheering on their way.

"We've done it, we've done it!" Fred cried, holding up the vial.

"But of course, with the help of our dear friend here," said George. The two of them stood on either side of Zavy, and then kissed her cheeks.

"It's not going to work," said Hermione, who was sitting a little bit away from them. The twins looked over at her and then walked to sit on either side of her.

"And why not Granger?" Fred asked.

"You see that? It's an age line that Dumbledore himself conjured."

"So?" George asked, a playful smile on his face.

"So, someone with the magic of Dumbledore can't be fooled by such a pathetically dim-witted plan."

"Ah, but that's why its going to work-"

"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted," George finished. They stood up, each holding a vile of the potion that Zavy brewed for them.

"Ready Fred?"

"Ready George."

"Cheers!" They said in unison, clinking their viles and drinking all the contents within them. They then walked towards the goblet, stopping in front of the age line. They jumped into the circle, Zavy suspecting purely for dramatic purposes. Everyone in the Hall was looking at them, forming a circle. Zavy smiled, knowing what would happen regardless. Dumbledore had specifically asked her to make sure the potion could not fool the goblet, he never said anything about the age line. She knew that he had said that on purpose, and she made damn well sure that her potion would not penetrate the goblet, though she was sure she could've if she tried. They circled the goblet, before finally taking out their parchments and throwing them into the blue flame. They cheered when nothing happened for a few moments. Zavy smiled at what was to come when the flame all of the sudden turned an angry red. The flames started to swish around, and then two embers shot out at the twins, knocking them clear across the room.

Zavy burst into laughter at them, as they started to grow thick white beards, the red hair turning white as well. They started to fight, placing the blame on one another, muggle dueling being the technical term. She continued to laugh at them, ignoring the crowd that was now forming around Krum. They stood up, obviously reaching a silent agreement that she must not've heard, because they stared at her in that I-have-a-plan look. She backed away slowly, getting ready for what she was unsure of. Quite suddenly, they both tackled her to the ground, tickling both of her sides. Luckily, everyone was focused on Krum to pay any attention to the three of them in their own world.

She was amazed at how she was able to sense a presence looking for her thru all of the commotion. Fred and George must've sensed it too, because they suddenly stopped and stood, staring in the direction of the doors. Zavy stood as well, wondering what they happened to be looking at. She saw Alexandra walking up to her, a determined look on her face. She faltered a bit though, when she saw the look that Zavy was returning to her, but continued her approach at a brisk speed. She stopped in front of her, eyeing Fred and George standing behind her. The twins were not happy with the news Zavy had told them, George in particular about the part with Cedric. The DelCotta twins were their friends, and Alex had betrayed them both with a stupid move.

"Zavy," she said in a confident tone.

"Go away, I have nothing to say to you," Zavy said flatly, her eyes flashing a dangerous red, and then settling on a steely grey.

"Fine. But I need to have words with you."

"I don't care to listen to them. What you did was inexcusable. You're very lucky right now that I'm even letting you stand near me."

"Though you may be right, I just thought you might like to know that your brother isn't as innocent as he led you to believe."

"Don't. I'd know if he was lying to me, and he would never hide anything from me."

"You seem to be so sure. How about when I came to your flat and he was in the arms of another woman."

"You're a liar!"

"I am no such thing. I saw it with my own two eyes, that's why I did this, to get back at him!"

"Then why bring me into it?!" Zavy demanded of the girl.

"What are you talking about?"

"You used a polyjuice potion and transformed yourself into me!"

"No I didn't. I swear it!"

Zavy opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, staring at her in shock. Alex's hair started to turn red, right in front of her. Bloody hell, she was a metamorphagus, and she didn't even know it! She looked back at the bearded faces of her twins to confirm what she was seeing. Their faces of shock told her exactly what she needed to know. Zavy turned back to Alex, looking into her eyes, noticing something strange about them. The whites of her eyes were yellow, indicating that she had liver damage.

"Let me see your arms!" Zavy told the girl sternly. Her eyes widened and looked about shiftily, before taking a step back.

"No," Alex defied.

"Either let me see them, or I'll look at them by force. You know me Alex, you know the power I have at my disposal."

Alex stared at her for a moment, then sighed in defeat, holding out her arms. Zavy peeled the sleeve away on one of them, her suspicions confirmed. She looked at the other arm as well, feeling tears come to her eyes. This all made a lot more sense now. Alex's metamorphagus powers were out of control. She was injecting drugs, shooting up, the track marks around her veins making it painfully obvious. That was why she couldn't control her powers, much less, her body. Perhaps she was thinking of Zavy while she was stoned, and then her powers got the better of her, that being when Cedric found her, trying to chat her up. The girl, that she supposedly had seen Brenden with was just an illusion. _Fuck!_

"Come with me," Zavy instructed the girl, dragging her by the arm towards the common room, leaving the twins there, uninformed and curious as to what they had just seen.

Brenden was eating his breakfast with Zavy at the Gryffindor table. Fred and George had joined them not too long after, their beards gone and hair back to normal colour. They were talking about how rubbish it was that they couldn't have Quidditch this year. Brenden wasn't really in the mood for talk, he felt horrible after hearing the story about Alex from Zavy. His sister had taken care of the drugs in her system, and lectured her about them, before telling her what happened with everything. Fred and George had heard the story about two days later, seeing as their best mate had sealed herself in her dorm for a day or two.

The post came in like it did every morning, owls flying everywhere. Zavy and Brenden were surprised to see their mini owl flying down towards them. Unlike the Weasley owl Errol, or the over excited Pig (Ron's owl), the mini owl that belonged to the DelCotta twins always landed gracefully in between them, four letters in her beak. There was one for each of the two sets of twins. Curiously, she took her letter from her owl's beak, leaving her food half eaten, and tore it open, reading the contents to herself.

_Zavy,_

_That's a smart owl you got there, she showed up in my window just as i was looking for an owl,_

_I will be coming to Hogwarts in November,_

_I'd like you to meet with Hagrid, and he'll take you to see me,_

_I ask that you exercise caution, but I know that you will not regret what I am about to show you,_

_Sincerely,_

_Charlie Weasley._

Zavy looked over at the twins and her brother, wondering if they got the same kind of letter from the same person. A grin spread over the twins' faces, confirming what Zavy was thinking. Brenden looked over at her, and then folded the parchment, tucking it away in his robes. The four of them remained seated, continuing on with their meal in silence. Although it appeared they were silent, another conversation was taking place, in the depths of two minds.

-Our god father requests that we take a little adventure into the Black Lake-

-Yeah, he cotacted me to about it-

-I think that maybe we should get on with it, don't you? It is nearly October, the weather will start to get cold-

-I agree. How about later on today?-

-Alright. I'll meet you there after my last lesson-

-You scared?-

-Not really, and you?-

-Only for our safety. Dumbledore said the mer-people weren't particularly that friendly-

-That's only if they feel like their being threatened, like a pack of wolves. I'm sure we can handle it-

-I hope so sis, I really hope so-

* * *

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	27. Chapter 27

"Contant Vigilance!" bellowed Alastor "Mad-eye" Moody. It seemed to be his favourite set of words, and he had basically been screaming them at his students ever since the first lesson. Sixth year Defence Against the Dark Arts was no joke. It was tougher than any of their other classes, and Moody was quite the teacher. Zavy didn't think he was bad, but it was obvious the years of hunting dark wizards had made him a little loopy. They had class with the Hufflepuffs this year, so there would be no way for her to keep track of her brother's progress in the class. This was actually the first year that they didn't have a single class together, and she was a bit upset with that.

Zavy remembered last year they had talked about the three unforgiveable curses. It seemed that no matter what year, Moody was going to insist on teaching students about them. Although she thought it was important for everyone to be aware of these, she didn't think that some younger students should be witness to them. Moody insisted on showing them with a type of spider. After he had tortured, cursed and killed the poor creature, he decided it would be fun to try it out on students, all except the killing curse of course. It was hard to see her mates being tortured by the cruciatus curse. The agonized faces of Fred and George made her blood boil, and she had to stop herself three times from building up her will.

When it was her turn, she could swear he was making this really hard for her. Something seemed to bother her about this teacher anyway. It seemed as if he wasn't the same man that she had invited into her home for supper. He constantly watched her it seemed like, and her brother. He also was shify, drinking out of that flask, which was normal, but strange to her. At one moment, she could've sworn his eyes changed colour until he took a drink from it. She had to admit though, when he used the imperious curse, it was funny. Probably wanted to give some humour after all the pain they endured. It was her turn to resist now, and she was prepared for it.

"Imperio!" he spoke, and Zavy felt the spell hit her, again thinking he was making it stronger against her than anyone. She heard his voice in her head, telling her to jump. There was another voice in her head, that questioned Moody's orders. She felt the need to listen to Moody, but the rational part of her mind told her not to. He tried harder, telling her to do a backflip, but yet again, the rational part of her mind stopped her from doing so. He tried once more, wanting her to send a fire spell to the ceiling, and yet again she denied, this time with more concentration, seeing as she almost gave in. He finally got out of her head, applauding her strength against his curse.

She was happy for class to be over, the twins looked a little shaken after enduring the cruciatous. She feared that she would never get those images out of her head, the images of their face twisted in agony, and her being helpess to do something for them. Briefly, she thought of a few images she still had in her head when her mind had merged with the dementors last year. She shuddered, trying to make it as invisible as possible, while continuing to walk with the boys.

To her surprise, George had taken her hand, and walked a bit slower than Fred and Lee, who seemed off in their own world. They had potions next, and Fred decided if one twin was in that class, the other didn't need to be. George pulled her into a secret passage, Zavy wondering what it was that he was doing. Once they were out of sight, he pulled her to him and kissed her. It was hungry, as if it had been years since the two of them were together. She returned his need with her own, practically melting when he brought his arms around her and closed that empty space between their bodies. How was it that he was always so warm? How amazing was it that she fit so perfectly against him? They pulled back going into their favourite trance.

"George..." she said softly, not knowing what she was going to say afterwards.

"Shh..." he told her in that husky and irresistable voice that she loved. He ran a hand thru her hair, before breaking eye contact and diving at her neck. She moved to his touch, running a hand up and down the bare skin of his back sofly, causing him to shiver. The sensations she was getting at the smallest touch started to drive her wild. She thrust her hips into his, oh the things he made her feel. He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her collarbone, causing her to moan a bit slightly, and shove her body into his even more. A sudden thought just occured to her.

"I don't think that... that here is the best mmm... best place..." she said breathlessly, as he continued to kiss at her, throwing a nibble in there.

"Probably not..." came his reply a little to long after.

"Where... where should we... oh... we go?"

"The room of Requirement?" he suggested, loving her reactions to his movements. She pushed him away slightly, holding his hand and concentrating on the hallway to the entrance of the room. There was no one there, they were late for class. She focused on the spot, and apparated her and George there. She want both of their ideas to mess it up, so she let George do the thinking, and waited for the door to appear. It didn't take long, and the two of them were seated on a couch, seeing as George pretty much wanted a bedroom. He put an arm around her, pulling her close. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat quicken at her touch. She laid on arm on his stomach, rubbing the one spot with her thumb. He ran his fingers up and down her arm, from shoulder to elbow, and kissed the top of her head before speaking.

"You're getting stronger you know," he stared. Zavy smiled at his compliment, and loved hearing him talk when her ear was pressed against him like this.

"Thanks," she replied, trying to get him to speak more. She had never felt something like this before. She had never really given boys any thought until she met the twins, and now she felt as if she had wings. She felt like she was absolutely stress free, like there wasn't a care in the world at all, she would give almost anything to never give it up.

"It's true love, you managed to apparate me with you and not even lose an ounce of strength," he told her in that soothing voice.

"Well, I'm sure when someone inexperienced can apparate three other people and survive, after that one is like nothing."

"I suppose. But I noticed that Moody really worked those curses on you. Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that. I was going to step in at one point if he did'nt release you. It greatly disturbed me to see you like that."

"Aw, no worries love. I can handle meself. Just cause you're a sorceress you seem to think you're better than everyone, don't you?"

"Does that bother you George?"

"Well, if you start to think you're better than everyone, we might have a problem."

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what love?"

"Does it bother you that I'm powerful, that you'll never be my equal in magic?"

"Never really thought about it. I've always been more worried about that power you got, seems to have made you some dangerous enemies. I really couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

Zavy smiled, "I love you," she blurted.

"What?" George asked her shocked, sitting up a bit to look at her.

Zavy's eyes were wide once she realized what she had said. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to meet Brenden!" she exclaimed, looking at her watch and apparating out of there.

George sat there, dumbstruck. It took him a good few minutes to actually process what just happened in his brain. She just confessed her love to him, and then disapparated. He didn't know what to make of it, but he knew he wasn't mad that she had left so soon. His reaction probably didn't help her confidence, if she was indeed planning on telling him such a thing. He should've said it back, yet he was just so shocked that she had said it in the first place. But as the words rang thru his head, his heart soared away from his body, making him smile wide and sigh happily. She loved him! He felt like he could fly without a broom, just take off into the air.

Zavy was blushing horribly, not believing what she had done. She figured George at least fancied her, but love was a big deal. Not to mention, she didn't even know she was going to do something like that, yet the words flowed out from her so naturally. Why did she run away? Did she love him? The thought of him always brought a smile to her face, and her patronus to its fullest strength. _I do love him..._ So why had she run from him? The answer was right there, fear. She was afraid of being hurt, so she decided it'd be best to get out of there before he had time to reply. She suspected that panic was a contributing factor to all of this. She decided to calm herself down by smoking a joint, something she had taken to doing everyday, hating the feeling of being sober now a days.

She didn't want to hurt George, but she knew that if they were together, people would use him to get to her. Dumbledore had said it was a good idea to go for it, but how could he be so sure. Ever since she had known him, he seemed to be right about everything.... maybe he was right about it. She wouldn't really know, but trusted his judgement. Dear old god father, how she loved that old man!

At least she didn't lie to him about meeting Brenden, it was nearly time. She had at least fifteen minutes before she was going to meet him at the lake. She didn't understand why her god father wanted them to go and speak with the mer-people. If Voldemort returned, surely he wouldn't bother under water... would he? But it seemed her god father was not as convinced as she was. She had read about the creatures of the sea, but never really thought she wanted to see one. She wondered if the sketches of the muggle world mermaids were actually accurate or not. On second thought, the muggle versions were probably modified to keep humans from actually seeing them. Sometimes, she wished that muggles could just see the joy of her world, that coincided in the same space.

Zavy stood with Brenden right in front of the Black Lake. They had arrived maybe five minutes ago, looking around. It seemed to go on forever, but she was sure that there was an ending. There was an ending to everything, a thing she wished would be a little different. She took off her shoe, and walked to the edge of where the waves were coming up. She dipped her toe in, removing it instantly. It was cold. She put her shoe back on and looked at her brother, questioning him if he was ready or not. He nodded once at her, and looked away with unfocused eyes. She to started to concentrate on the shape she would be changing her form into, a jellyfish. She knew that it would be unnatural for the mer-people to see a jellyfish in the lake, being as they were a salt water creature. She formed the image in her head, and concentrated on herself. It was very important that she didn't mess a single detail up, or she would die if she couldn't transform back in time.

She had to admit, it felt weird to have no bones... or legs, or arms. But she managed, holding her breath until she plunged into the cold Black Lake. Brenden was right beside her, taking the form of a swordfish. She practiced her swimming, trying to manuever around quickly in case they needed to make a get away. She questioned many things about her form, but decided it was best to just flow with it. She looked at Brenden, not knowing how, and sent her thought to him, before they were ready to go deeper into the lake. The water wasn't as cold anymore, and they must've been swimming for about an hour before they saw that the lake floor was able to go deeper. They swam that way, careful to avoid a few of the creatures that either stared at them curiously, or tried to grab at them. Finally, they saw something glowing at the bottom, and saw a strange shark like creature. It was a mermaid, it swam up to them, holding her trident to them, questioning them. It was lucky that they had been taught a bit of mermish before they plunged into the lake. She let Brenden talk to the creature, seeing as she wasn't exactly sure how she was communicating with anything at all.

"What are you outsiders doing here in out lake?" the creature asked them, ready to strike at any moment.

"We were sent by Dumbledore, we just wish to learn of you and your kind," Brenden replied in a very polite tone.

"Very well," said the mermaid, lowering her trident, and swimming towards her home. The twins followed her cautiously, making sure they didn't seem threatening. The underwater palace was magnificent, even though the water was dirty. Mer-people swam all around, male, female, and child. The homes were completely open, being a community, not like humans at all. The legends were all wrong, they didn't even look like they were half human.

The mermaid stopped in front of the palace looking place and talked with one of the guards there. She spoke their language, and then they granted access into the building type thing. Zavy and Brenden swam with the mermaid, following her to the end of the hallway, into a throne room. The creature went to talk to what looked like a king and a queen. Brenden and Zavy stood a small distance away, trying to pick up on words. Finally, the mermaid stepped back and the two others stared at the twins.

"Please, change to your regular forms. It is disrespectful to remain hidden from us," said the Queen in their language. Zavy and Brenden looked at each other.

-How will we manage that?- Zavy asked.

-We'll have to just use a charm- Brenden replied.

-Oh yeah-

-And they say that you're the smart one-

-Oh shut it!- But his voice was gone.

They concentrated on themselves, changing their shape back to the human form. They had to hold their breath while thinking of the charm each of them was going to use to be able to breathe under water. They decided on the easiest one yet, the bubble headed charm. Her sight was distorted with the bubble over her head, as she breathed normally.

"We the mer-people welcome the relatives of Albus Dumbledore," said the king, also in their language.

"You speak out language?" Zavy asked curiously.

"Yes, we speak all languages. It's the rest of our children that only speak out native tongue."

"Now we ask, what brings you to us?"

"It is our god father's wish to learn of you and your people," Brenden replied.

"Ah, you must be the children he spoke of. Is the time really coming to an end already?"

"Time?"

"The prophecy that draws near. You have dreams of its passages, both of you. Every night when you go to sleep, you wake up after hearing a passage of the holy words of the prophecy. We had a hand in it you know."

"What do you know about it?"

"All creatures of this world had a part in it. Humans, mer-people, giants, centuars, unicorns, you name it. Eons ago, we predicted this, and we have waited for the ones destined to fulfill it. There are many prophecies in our world, and they never cease to surprise us of the events that take place. They are really, quite accurate, never wrong."

"And what is the one that mentions us?" Zavy asked, not liking the sounds of this.

"You may have heard of one Harry Potter, and Neville Longbottom. There was a time, years ago, that the prophecy about the one you call Voldemort losing his powers, how he could be defeated. A choice was to be made between the two boys, seeing as they awoke from the depths of life around the same time. The evil one made his choice, marking his equal. The battle is not over yet, for he will rise again."

"But if Harry was marked his equal, why does he need us?"

"That part of the passage was not written nor seen by us. You must seek the centaurs, who keep their eyes to the heavens, a place we cannot see."

"Isn't there a copy of it somewhere lying around?" Brenden asked, knowing the danger of the centaurs.

"We wrote this prophecy when humans first walked the earth. Such a copy was written, but over the centuries, it has been lost. The centaurs can see the stars, where all your names are written."

"If this prophecy was written centuries ago, then why is it all coming to a close now?"

"Time is not as you perceive it. Centuries do not actually exist, it is a man-made term to help make something so huge manageable. Humans are very strange creatures, but, they seem to be our only hope. If the evil comes back to this world, there is nothing that is safe, unless the names written in the stars can stop it, just as prophecised."

"So, the prophecy says we'll win?" Zavy asked.

"It does not speak of a winner, only a choice. We do not know anymore than that."

"But-"

"We understand," said Brenden, cutting his sister off, "and we thank you for your information. Forgive us, but we must leave. Our skin and bodies are not used to the temperatures of your home."

Zavy stared at him, but then thought about it, noticing she was very cold. What bothered her more is that she left her shoes on, which would make it harder to swim. They would have to either change their forms in order to get back, or die of hypo-thermia.

-We can also apparate- Brenden said in her mind.

-Oh yeah-

-Seriously, where is your head today?-

Instantly, she thought of George and smiled a bit. She saw Brenden roll his eyes before bowing down to the rulers of the mer-people. Zavy followed suit, before concentrating on the edge of the lake, feeling her brother ready to exercise his will. Silently, the two of them disappeared from the spot they once floated.

"Farewell, children of destiny."

Zavy and Brenden appeared at the edge of the lake, where they had entered. Their charm had disappeared once they reached air, and they stood, shivering. She remembered the drying charm, and willed it to happen. She was dry, but still cold. She looked over at Brenden, nodded once and then stared walking back to the school. Questions and thoughts were racing threw their minds. Dumbledore had sent them there, when he could have easily told them the information, and more of it at that. So why was it necessary for them to learn this that way? The old man had always planned ahead, always expecting something that they were unsure of.

"So what do we do now?" Zavy asked her brother, fearing the answer.

"I think we might have to go see the centaurs next. From there, I guess we'll be able to plan out next move. If the mer-people say that all creatures had a part in the prophecy, then I think it'll be time to go on a few journeys," Brenden replied.

"I guess. But what about school? About Hogwarts?"

"We can handle ourselves without further lessons. You know as well as I do that we're only here to stay in hiding. Everything that happens at the school has pretty much nothing to do with us, the Death Eaters think were dead. They want Harry, not us, and we need to go our separate ways eventually."

"They only want Harry because they don't know we exist yet! But they will. If Voldemort rises back into power, I know he'll be able to sense us, just like we'll be able to sense him."

"Either way, I fear that at the end of all of this, one of us won't make it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she demanded of him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to face her. His amethyst eyes stared into hers, that were flickering from red to blue, worried. He remained silent, his face unreadable.

"What do you know?"

"Zavy! Brenden! Where have the two of you been?!" Hermione asked as the two entered the castle.

"What?" they both asked.

"The goblet is ready to announce the champions in the Hall. _Come on!_" she urged, running towards the Great Hall. Zavy and Brenden stood there for a moment, before realizing what she had said, and speeded off in the same direction. They reached the Hall just in time, the fire in the goblet was just starting to turn red. The two of them stood a bit away from the door, every eye fixed on it. The fire shot, and spit out a piece of parchment, one of the students that entered. It flew into Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is... Fleur Delacor!" he announced, the students from that school cheering for her. The remainder applauding politely. The fire shimmered again, and the room fell silent. Another piece shot out from it. "The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!" the Hall echoed with the booming cheers of the Slytherin house and Durmstrang students. The blaze of the blue flame turned red once more, and for the final time. It shot out the last piece of parchment, the last champion. "And finally, the Hogwarts champion is... Cedric Diggory!" The Hall was full of cheers yet again. "And now, may we wish our champions good luck, for what is-"

But the flame of the goblet turned red once, and to everyone's surprise, it shot out yet another piece of parchment. Everyone was silent, wondering what could possibly be going on. The piece fell into Dumbledore's outstretched hand, and he was silent for a moment, his eyes widening at the name he was reading. Finally, he spoke, "Harry Potter..." The whispers started immediately, and Harry sat there struck. Hermione gave him a push before he walked up to Dumbledore, took his name from him, and walked slowly to where the other champions were. No one moved for a moment, and then there was another outbreak of silence, everyone wondering how he managed to do it. Zavy looked at her brother, both twins wearing the same look. _What did this mean?_

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to my last reviewer, i thank you for the site refrence and your review. i do have troubles with beginnings, but i feel like its time to revise that one.. and thank you to all readers :)


	28. Chapter 28

Brenden was sitting in the Hall with Luna Lovegood, the nutter of Ravenclaw. His sister seemed to be m.i.a for the past few weeks, although, he had been keeping a mental contact with her, he just hadn't seen her. It seemed to Brenden that she was avoiding everyone, seeing as the twins have been looking for her as well particularaly George. Brenden was not oblivious to this boy's feelings for his sister, he even knew that she returned the same feelings. So if Zavy was avoiding everyone, even this boy that she couldn't stop drooling over, then something was definately wrong between them. She couldn't avoid him forever, they did have a few classes together.

"Alright Brenden?" George came up behind him. Brenden turned to the red head, already predicting where this conversation was going to go.

"I haven't seen her if that's what your wondering," Brenden replied pleasantly. He saw George's face fall, but then turn to a smile.

"That obvious am I?"

"A bit. What happened anyway?"

"Nothing really... just... I don't know. It's not serious or anything, like... she's not hurt, I don't think..." George looked away, taking a cookie, one of Zavy's favourites Brenden noticed.

"Has she been showing up for her lessons?" Brenden was tired of the silent treatment. He sent his thought out to George, probing for the information that wasn't being said. He was surprised how vividly this boy remembered his sister, and the way he saw her. The latest memories were of them in class, and then, he saw the two of them sitting on a couch, in some place he did not recognize.

"Does it bother you that I'm powerful, that you'll never be my equal in magic?"

"Never really thought about it. I've always been more worried about that power you got, seems to have made you some dangerous enemies. I really couldn't stand it if anything happened to you," Brenden could feel George's sincerety in those words, he could feel the love George kept inside for Zavy.

Zavy smiled, "I love you," she blurted.

"What?" George asked her shocked, sitting up a bit to look at her. Brenden could feel George's emotions, and it felt like he had just ran into a wall. Both were questioning themselves as to what was just happened, neither expecting that out of her.

Zavy's eyes were wide once she realized what she had said. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to meet Brenden!" she exclaimed, looking at her watch and apparating out of there.

Brenden took himself out of the depths of George's mind, understanding now what was going on. From a third point of view, this was extremely funny. The two of them had no idea about the other, even though it was painfully obvious to everyone else. This incident happened nearly two weeks ago. She must've been holing herself up in her room, he could see no other way of avoiding everyone for so long.

"Yeah, she shows up, but she's always the first out the door kind of deal," said George, playing with the cookie. "These are her favourite right?"

"Yeah, she loves those. Does she talk to you?"

"A little, mostly just keeps to herself. I think I'm just going up to her room whether she likes it or not," he said, walking away before Brenden had a chance to answer. Brenden smiled knowingly in his direction. If anyone deserved his sister, it was George Weasley, and if Zavy could pick anyone, he was happy she'd pick him.

Zavy was smoking in her usual spot, behind the boulder on the tree line of the Forbidden Forest. She had managed to avoid everyone, except for when she was in class. Her dorm mates had asked her what was going on, but she managed to avoid that as well, knowing that they wouldn't ask unless they knew. She was afraid, afraid of George, and what his reaction would be. The times they had spent in lessons weren't so bad, but there wasn't much time to talk, and she was thankful for that. That day, in the Room of Requirement, she blurted out that she loved George, and she only knew it was true later on, when she had more time to think of it. They had only been fooling around, nothing serious, to bring up such an emotion could only cause disaster, and that's why she avoided him.

She wasn't stupid though. She knew that he was eventually going to get tired of it, put on his determined face and confront her. That was going to be soon, the annoyance plain on his face, and the lectures from Brenden saying more than he thought they were. If George confronted her, what was she supposed to say? There was no possible scenario that could end well. She didn't want to complicate things by bringing love into it, one could never be sure with such a strong word. Her joint was nearly finished, and she was high as a kite. Maybe if they talked right after, she'd be able to handle it more, seeing as she could go into her own world to protect herself.

George walked up to the girls dorm, damning Hermione for yelling at him. It would be hell next year if she were made prefect, but it was probably going to happen. He wasn't exactly sure which one Zavy's dorm was, that is, until he saw Angelina Johnson walking out it. He knew that they shared a dorm, so he waited until she walked by. Luckily, he was unnoticed, and crept into their room. He looked around the beds, and did not see Zavy. The door to the bathroom was open, which also meant that she wasn't there. The only possible explanation is that she apparated somewhere. He figured since her magic was a bit different than the rest, that was why she could apparate in the grounds, despite the laws forbidding it.

He sat on one of the girls bed's, not knowing who's was who's, since the room was clean. He held the tray of cookies, eating one absent mindedly as he waited. It wasn't long before she apparated to the bed opposite of him, with what he noticed two fags? No one fag in her hand and something else that looked like it in the other. He knew the smell coming from her was not from the fag, but from the other thing. What was it? And how long had she been smoking? It clicked though, the memories of how she would disappear for a few moments to her dorm, and the come back, smelling like her perfume. She hadn't noticed him yet, but he had to say something before she put the evidence away.

"I didn't know smoked," he stated in a flat tone. He was upset that she had never told them. She visibly jumped, shocked that there was someone in her room. She turned nearly white as a sheet when she saw he was there. He did not look happy. She felt guilty, seeing in his hand her favourite kind of cookies.

"Well?" he said impatiently, obviously waiting for some kind of explanation.

"I..." she didn't know what to tell him.

"You?"

"I... I didn't know what you two would think of me... if you found out..." she looked down at the ground.

"Well you didn't bother to find out, did you?" his voice sounded angry, and slightly hurt from the lack of trust she had just displayed.

"I'm sorry. I had just met you, and I really didn't know you both too well. I guess I was just so used to hiding it from everyone that I didn't think to tell you."

"Obviously."

"I'm sorry," she repeated in barely a whisper, her eyes remaining at her feet.

"What's the thing in your other hand?"

"....Weed."

"I see," he sighed audibly. What more could be said on the issue now? He knew bits and pieces about weed, having older brothers and all, but he didn't know what to think of it. He stood up and walked to stand in front of her. She did not budge, so he put a hand on her shoulder. Still no reaction. "Zavy... I don't care if you smoke. I may not like it, but I can't control you. I just wish you were more honest about such things. I really wish you would trust me. I'm not going to judge you, or push you away because there's something I don't like. That's not who I am, and that's why I'm upset, because you seemed to think just that," his voice was sincere and soothing, but still she did not look at him.

"But I trust you with my life George. Why else do you think I jumped off the stands last year? I knew you were watching, and I knew that you would be there..." her voice was barely a whisper, but he knew those words to be true.

He smirked a bit, bringing a cookie to her mouth. She turned her head away. How could she accept this after the way she had behaved? He took the hand from her shoulder, and placed it under her chin, turning her head gently to look at him. She let herself me moved, but kept her eyes downcast. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, and that's when she looked at him. Her eyes turned that pink colour after being a sad kind of blue. He pulled her a bit closer, his arm around her. She didn't notice his arm, and thought it was just a gravitational pull, as she leaned into him. He waited until she was close enough, and then shoved a cookie in her mouth. She coughed, grabbing the cookie, pulling away from him a bit and tried to get control over what just hapened. She ate the piece that was in her mouth, and held the other half in her hand. George beamed at her, congradulating himself mentally for getting her to eat something.

"Sorry love, but I noticed that you haven't been eating much. And it wasn't just because I felt you up, I noticed your clothes have gotten baggier everyday. Now can we stop this nonsense?"

"What ever do you mean?"

"I mean, stop hiding in your room and come out with your mates. We miss you. I miss you..." he said that last part a little softer.

She smiled to herself and looked up at him again. If he could surprise her, then that only meant it was her turn. She jumped, trusting him always to catch her, and he did. She then kissed him so fiercely that he took a step back. After she pulled back, his mouth was left open, just like she was hoping. She shoved the other half of the cookie in, and then disapparated, leaving him struck and standing there for a moment with his arms out. He blinked, let his arms fall and then chewed on the cookie, beaming at the empty space she just occupied. How did she always do that?

After that encounter, Zavy had told Fred about her smoking habbit and he teasingly reprimanded her for it. Alexandra had finally gotten a hold of her mind, the drugs out of her system and by her word, she wasn't about to do anything like that again. She was relieved that her best friend was back, but things between her and her brother were still uncomfortable. Time heals all wounds, so there was nothing that Zavy could do.

Onto a more important matter, tonight was the night that Charlie Weasley's note said to be in the forest with none other, than Hagrid. She was going to meet up with everyone later on that evening, and then they would go to the giant's hut. Zavy always wondered how giants managed to mate. It was understandable for a male and a giantess, but if a giant wanted a human girl, how would that work? He'd rip her in half! She then wondered what made her think such things all the time.

She was sitting in her potions class with George. She wasn't surprised to have made it, but for George to make it was a shock. It was no secret that Snape didn't hold either of them, nor anyone other than Slytherin for that matter, in the highest regards. Still, she was advanced in all of her classes and proud of herself for it. Brenden had decided to pursue something else, though as to what, he himself wasn't even sure. Thinking about the future made her teeth ache. There were so many things she could do, yet didn't feel that she would want to.

There were too many things that required her attention where she was, so until that was over, she could not think about leaving the country. Then there was George. What path was this going to lead to? He hadn't mentioned anything about her outburst the other day, but things seemed to have gone back to normal, as if nothing happened. She wasn't sure what to think about that. It wasn't a bad thing that he wasn't mentioning anything about it, but she couldn't help but wonder how he seemed to feel about it. She definately wasn't going to bring it up, but was hoping that maybe he would offer up his side of it all. She would just have to play that damnable waiting game... oh joy.

Nightfall was soon upon them. The day had gone by pretty quickly, considering her anticipation. She walked with Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Brenden towards Hagrid's hut. She didn't have to wonder where Harry was, since Brenden had held true on letting her know the school gossip after her incident with Oliver Wood last year. She was walking behind the twins, beside her brother. This was a chance she was not going to miss, whether her and George had reconciled or not.

Hagrid was waiting outside to greet them with a smile on his face. After exchanging pleasantries, he led them to the Forbidden Forest, Zavy lighting a smoke, seeing as her secret was out. George looked back at her for a moment, then turned his attention to where they were going. They were lead by the little light that Hagrid's lantern gave off, but her smoke was very visible. They walked on, Zavy wondering how long it would be before they reached their destination.

Finally, after seeming like a couple hours, they all saw flames coming from the distance. Their pace quickened, as they saw a pile of wizards, each separated around four huge cages. Zavy recognized the silhouette of Charlie Weasley, and walked with the others to where he stood. They reached him, Ron white as a sheet, Ginny standing a safe distance away. Zavy looked over and saw it, her first dragon. It was female, a Hungarian Horntail, and it was angry. It blew fire at them, but they were far enough out of reach that it only warmed the air. Ron looked about ready to faint, but Zavy was staring at the creature with wonder. She seemed to feel a calling, and moved closer to it.

"Zavy, I don't think you should do that, she's really not friendly at all..." warned Charlie, but didn't move to stop her, seeing the dragon just stare at her as she approached. The dragon breathed fire at her, roaring in anger, but Zavy was prepared, and put on her shield. She reached out to it's mind, wondering why the creature was so upset, despite being caged up. The dragon stared at her once again as Zavy was right in front of the bars.

The dragon continued to stare, and Zavy reached out her hand to it. She wanted the creature to know that she meant it no harm. The dragon let out a thunderous roar, causing the onlookers to take a step towards her, wands at the ready. To everyone's surprise, the dragon simply lowered it's head, and Zavy put her hand on top of it. It rested there for just a moment, before she took it back and walked back to the group. They were staring at her, mouth's agape at what they had just witnessed.

"How...?" Charlie started, but still couldn't bring himself to say the rest.

"I'm not exactly sure. It just kind of happened..." Zavy trailed, turning to look at the beast. "If she was allowed out of her cage, I'm confident she would allow me to ride her."

"No one on this planet has EVER been able to get close to one of them, let alone ride them!" exclaimed Charlie, still unsure if what happened was real or not.

"Well, it looks like you won't be able to say that anymore," said Fred, staring at the girl in front of him.

"But it just doesn't make sence. How were you able to get so close without the flames hurting you?"

"I just put on a shield. The flames weren't a threat I don't think anyway, more of a warning. Once she knew I wasn't going to hurt her, she seemed to take a liking to me," Zavy answered.

"Like I say, dragons are just misunderstood creatures," Hagrid piped in.

"Indeed they are, indeed they are."

"So why are you here with them?" Ginny asked her brother.

"Well, dragons are the first task in the tournament. Four champions, four dragons."

"I don't think I like the sounds of that..." said Hagrid.

"It's too late for them to back down now. They have to do this, or be killed. One way or another, I'm sure that they will be able to overcome this, provided they keep their cool," said Brenden. But Zavy wondered if they could bond with the dragon like she did. The Hungarian Horntail was one of the nastiest out there, and she hoped that her friends could overcome it. She had a feeling that this one would be Harry's.

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sorry it's short guys, just wanted to keep you interested. i finally have a computer that works again, so i should be quicker, thanks for readign :D


	29. Chapter 29

The day of the first task was upon them. Every champion knew what they were up against, but they showed no outward sign of nervousness or anxiety. Dragons were no joke, they were fearsome creatures, especially the females. No one knew what they would have to do until the time came, but the wonder was all around the castle. Zavy sat alone with her brother at the end of Gryffindor table, eating some breakfast, being one of the first few people there. They were once again, discussing the information they had gathered from the mer-people. The creatures had told them to seek out the centaurs for more information, and the DelCotta twins felt that this was going to be one wild goose chase.

It wasn't long before the Gryffindor champion entered the Hall. Hermione was not around, so he sat with the twins, seeing as he still wasn't talking to Ron. Harry seemed to be okay, but Zavy could tell he was internally worrying about what to do with is dragon. A couple of nights after her encounter with the Horntail, Hagrid had taken Harry to show him what his first task would be. Harry had also confided that he had taken Madam Maxime there, meaning that two of the champions would know. Harry, feeling like it was his duty, reported to Cedric about the task, and no one knew how Krum knew, but everyone was sure that he did.

"And how is our little hero doing?" Zavy asked in a mocking tone, hoping to lighten up the mood. He didn't answer, just stared in front of him as he sat beside Brenden. Zavy resisted her urge to see into his mind. Not everyone was as fascinated by dragons like she was, so she knew that he was scared, but wasn't outwardly showing it, minus the staring. She gathered some food on a plate and placed it in front of him. He looked at her then, confused. "You'll need to eat, that way you have something to throw up later," she offered with a smile.

He seemed to crack a small smile, before staring at the food in front of him, "Thanks," he said quietly, starting to pick at it. Fred and George were the next to enter the hall, Fred taking a seat on the other side of Brenden and George sitting in front of him, beside Zavy. She felt her stomach do a flip, as it always seemed to when he was around, or when she thought of him. She loved this boy, he knew, but they had not discussed it since she blurted it out in the Room of Requirement. The fear of the subject being brought up was still upon her. He always sat beside her, always seemed to move closer to her, but they had not been very close since she had kissed him last in her dorm room. Maybe he didn't return her feelings? She was hoping such was not the case.

"Ready for your challenge?" asked Fred light heartedly. Harry sat there and didn't say anything. None were sure he had even heard Fred.

"We're going to be taking bets, you better win!" said George, making a small attempt to lighten the mood Zavy noticed. She looked over at Harry, face full of worry before turning back to her food. Her left hand that was on her leg was startled by the warm skin from the boy sitting next to her. George took her hand, making no outward sign that he had done anything. It was the first time something had happened since she kissed him in her dorm room. She looked over at him, and he stared back, grinning that gorgeous grin she could hardly resist. She smiled back, entwining her fingers in his and blushing slightly.

The students began to gather at stands that were conjured just for this event. In the middle of the ring was the green dragon, and a golden egg. Zavy had already concluded what needed to be done just from looking at the scene in front of her. The dragon roared, trying to break free from it's chain, but it was no use. Fred and George were wandering around with a box, taking bets from other students. She laughed slightly at their antics and sat down next to Brenden and Alexandra. She noted that Kyle had looked been looking specifically at her before sitting just few people away. George had noticed this as well, and pushed his way over to her, sitting between him and Alex, putting a possessive arm around her.

Cedric was the first to combat his dragon, and he looked deathly pale as he came out into the ring. The crowd was silent as they watched him size up the dragon despite the fear evident on his face. Zavy looked over at her brother, and he held up a finger. The dragon roared, and that was their cue. They stood, George's arm falling off her shoulders, and they shifted thru the crowd towards the exit. George and Kyle stared at Zavy, but she payed them no mind, only giving one last glance at her god father. He nodded at them, and then they left. The two of them made their way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and then they turned to face each other.

"Are you ready for this?" Brenden asked her. It seemed to her that his voice hinted dread, and that worried her. She remembered the conversation that they had after they had been to see the mer-people in the Black Lake. He had said that he was sure one of them wasn't going to make it. In all the commotion, she didn't dwell on it, but something about the sound of his voice scared her, and the image of her brother bloodied and crumpled on the cold ground burst into her mind. She nodded weakly at him, trying to push the image out of her mind, scared that he might see it. Losing her brother would be the end of her world, and she would truly be alone after that. She took a deep breath, and then forced her mind clear of all thought besides the form she would be taking, the white wolf.

It was clear in her mind, and she had taken this form many times before. She focused her will in on herself when she was ready to change. It was a strange process, like she was melting into her other shape. Once she had fully changed, she turned to look over at Brenden. He had taken the form of a black wolf. They nodded at each other, and then took off into the depths of the forest, hunting out the centaurs. They encountered a pack of unicorns not too far in. They smelled the spiders, so they decided to avoid that area completely, having been told what happened with Harry and Ron two years previous. They ran all around, following the strange scents that they hadn't deciphered yet. Finally, in what seemed like the heart of the forest, they caught the scent of one centaur.

They paused in their hunt and turned to one another. The questioning look upon Brenden's face told Zavy that he was thinking the same thing as her. Why, if centaur's travelled in packs, was there just one by itself? The scent told them that it was very much alive, but it was alone. They continued on after a few moments, following their noses until they saw in the distance a half human, half horse looking silhouette. The walked on silent paws, not wanting to startle the creature, but sizing it up incase it turned out to be hostile. Once they were close enough, the sign from Zavy told Brenden it was time. Together, they let out a small howl to capture it's attention. The centaur turned to them, completely unsurprised to see two wolves in the forest.

"Welcome children of fate, I have been waiting for you," he greeted them. The DelCotta twins started to shimmer before turning back into their normal selves. They kept a good distance from the centaur, as well as probed around for anything they may have missed with their increased senses. "There is no need to be wary of me, I saw your arrival in the stars, just as your names have always been, shining brightly. I am Firenz, and I am pleased that this meeting as finally come to take place. It shows that things are finally starting to move ahead."

"Why are you all by yourself? I thought your race travelled in packs?" Zavy questioned, ignoring the importance of his final statement.

"Most centaurs do not care for humans at all. I have nothing against them, and believe strongly in what the stars tell me about them and the fate of our world. Since I once let a human ride on my back, I have forever been deemed a disgrace, and shunned from the rest of my pack."

"So if you knew we were coming, then you must already know what we're here for," it was not a question, but a statement from Brenden. He was always one to get straight to the point. Zavy felt that he sometimes took things a little too seriously.

"Yes. You have come in search of the prophecy, so that you may understand the words for yourselves in the hopes that you'll be prepared for what is coming your way."

"The queen of the mer-people said that we must ask you to answer a question that your wrote in this prophecy."

"Ah, what is your purpose if the evil has already marked it's evil. We wrote that passage eons ago, but we keep the knowledge throughout our tribe. The task for young Harry Potter is not just his alone, he needs the signs of fire on either side of him, alive or dead. If they are not present, then surely, the evil will prevail. Fear not children of destiny, for the prophecy rewards well the ones who carry out it's wishes. Every name in that I see written in the star has a task, and by coming here at this time, you are fulfilling one right now. Have you not noticed your feelings of accomplishment? Some sign indicating that what you are doing is exactly the thing you should be? Is there not times in your lives when you feel as if your awareness has been pushed to the side and you have done things without rashional thought?"

Instantly Zavy thought of that time that she jumped off the stands. She didn't think twice about it, hell, she didn't even think once about it, she just jumped and somehow knew that what she was doing was right. Every time she kissed George, she knew that it was the right thing to do. It was strange how even this felt right. The twins didn't know that they would be coming into the forest today, there was just a sign and an impulse, and then they were off. She looked at her brother, and knew that he was thinking along the same lines as she was.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked him, deciding it was probably time to move on.

"Seek out the giants, for they will hold the next clue for you. Look for one called Darr, he will tell you what you need to know. I cannot be of more help to you, however, if I come across something you need to know, I will warn you of it."

"Thank you," they said in unison.

"Associating with humans yet again are you?" said a voice closer than it should've been.

"They are the children of the stars, I was simply completing my task. You have already rid of me, leave me to my peace now," Firenz said sternly in the direction of his right. The twins looked over and saw three centaurs slightly shadowed by the trees.

"They are still human, and we are not to help the humans. That has always been the way of our tribe."

"You may think we're human, but in actuality, you are quite mistaken," Zavy butted in with a flat voice. She turned into the white wolf, Brenden following suit and changing his form. The twins growled at the three centaurs, their animal instinct telling them to defend poor Firenz. The two on the outside seemed to flinch, but the one in the middle stared at them, his eyes boring into them like they were pure evil.

"You children may be able to change your form, but that does not hide the human side of you. Leave this forest, or you will not have your life."

The twins stayed put, getting ready for an attack. They knew these centaurs were bad news, but until they made a move, all they could do was warn them with their teeth not to do anything foolish. It didn't seem like it was going to work, as one of the creatures lunged at Firenz without warning. Zavy leaped at him, pushing him with her head into the nearest tree, making a thunderous boom sound. The next attack happened just as quickly, Brenden biting at the other centaur's throat. The renown ring leader stared in horror as the DelCotta twins zoomed fast to defend Firenz while possibly killing the other two in front of him. The twins stood in front of the victimized creature, baring their teeth at the hostile centaurs. The leader gave a nod, and then they took off into the forest. The twins waited until they knew for sure they were gone before turning back to Firenz.

"I thank you children, but they will be back. Although you may have saved me from harm today, tomorrow can only promise worse because of those actions. Do not think you have done wrong, it was written in the stars, but soon, I will be relieved of this place. I will be leaving the forest where I can live in safety, away from my former comrades. It is time for you to go now. I wish you well, children of destiny," he told them before turning and galloping away. The twins looked at each other before running back in the direction of the castle.

Upon reaching the end of the forest, Brenden stopped dead in his tracks. Zavy stopped to, wondering what he was up to. He changed back into a human and started walking towards the grounds. Zavy copied him, but very suspiciously. What was the reason for not remaining in wolf form she wondered. They may have been able to see the grounds, but they were still a fair distance away, and it was dangerous for even creatures of the forest to be in it by themselves. No sane animal disturbs a pair of wolves, but a pair of humans, that was like fresh meat willingly walking to their mouth. His face seemed set on something, and that worried her, since there was only rare times she'd see him like this. Ever since they had come to this school, he had been slowly changing, as if he'd been accepting something only he knew about, and the information was not being shared with her. That angered her, she was his sister, and if something was bothering him, he should tell her, seeing as they were TWINS. She grabbed his arm, halting him.

"Tell me what's going on," she demanded, fighting back the urge to scream at him for being so selfish. He stared at her blankly, not knowing what she was talking about. "You know something, and you're not telling me. That's not fair, tell me what you know!" she felt near tears at the thought of it being something horrible or good that he was withholding from her.

"I know as much as you do Zavy, I promise you that," he told her sincerely, but she wasn't as stupid as she looked.

"Last time, when we came out of the Black Lake, you said that one of us may not make it, like you knew something. And even now, it's being implied that one or both of us will die. What do you know Brenden? You can cut the shit because you know that doesn't work for me. I'm apart of you, I know when your lying to me!"

He saw her eyes wanting to shed tears, and that honestly broke his heart. "Z..." where did he begin? He wasn't even sure about all he knew, but he had to tell her something or she would not let him go, dead or alive, "you're my sister, my twin, my best friend... I love you, but I really don't know much. I just get this feeling like one of us isn't going to make it. And it's not even just me and you, I'm talking about the whole group of us, Fred, George, Lee, Luna, Hermione... And it's even worse that I know the Death Eaters will come after you over me, thinking that you're more vulnerable because your a woman. I know that's why you push yourself to these limits that nearly get you killed, so prove that you're not the inferior sex, but that's also why I'm always so worried. I don't know who all is supposed to be alive or who is supposed to be dead, but I do that if YOU die, I will be alone. We're the only family we have, and we've always been around each other, never anything besides petty words that came in between us. I just don't want to lose all the family I have left, and I know you feel the same way."

The intensity of his words made the tears fall. She stood there, mouth open and eyes wide while the tears fell. She did not move an inch, knowing that all this was true. Yet, hearing him say all this to her scared her more, knowing that one of her friends or even her brother was not going to make it out alive once this was all done. She didn't want to think that anyone would die, but she knew it was possible after hearing all about Voldemort. She blinked once, his eyes boring into hers, knowing what she was feeling. She hugged her brother fiercely, crying into his shoulder and trying to calm herself down. This all seemed to be too much when she thought about it, that was one of the reason she turned to drugs and alcohol to help her cope with the stress. When she released him, she willed such things into existence, Brenden watching over her the whole time.

They arrived back at the stands, only barely noticing the silence from it all. They looked and saw that everyone had vacated the scene, meaning that the challenges were over. They walked back up to the castle, stopping in the Great Hall to get something to eat before returning to their commons. The presence of teachers confirmed their suspicion of the first task being completed, and by the lack of dread on their faces, everyone had survived. Zavy was relieved, not wanting to deal with a death so early into this tournament. The twins had not spoken since Brenden's heartfelt speech in the forest, but that suited them just fine. There were no more words that needed to be said. When she was finished eating, she nodded at him before leaving the Hall and returning to Gryffindor tower.

She could hear the commotion down the corridor aways before she came up to the portrait of the fat lady. She entered and saw students drinking while the golden egg levitated in the center of the common room. Music was playing, students were laughing and everyone just seemed to be in the greatest of moods. Zavy hawk eyed for Harry so she could speak with him, but she noticed he was in a crowd full of people, and therefore wouldn't have a chance until possibly tomorrow.

She could feel the twins staring at her, knowing that this was going to happen once they spotted her. She had left earlier without an explanation, and she knew that would bother them, especially since she had missed all the excitement with her favourite creatures involved. She turned as they were approaching her, thinking of what she was going to tell them. Her and Brenden weren't sure they wanted everyone to know about this little mission of theirs, for the fear of them disrupting and making things harder for them. No one besides her brother understood that these things HAD to be done, no matter the cost. She put on a winning smile, hoping that would make them soften their blow, but she knew them better than that.

"And where have you been young lady?" Fred demanded in a cheery and slurred voice, but she knew he was serious.

"We were very surprised at your actions, missing out on an obsession of yours..." George trailed, obviously pissed as well.

"My brother wasn't feeling the greatest, I had to stick with him, you know how it goes," she answered, cursing herself for not thinking of something better earlier.

"You're a liar misssss Zavyy DelCot... but we love you, so we'll forgive you thisss time. But thasssit, nomore, none," Fred replied, falling into his little brother Ron behind him.

"I was worried about you," George said in a quiet voice. Zavy smiled at her friends.

"Well, there is ONE problem..." she trailed, looking away slightly.

"And?" they both said, wondering what it could be.

"I believe my good sirs, that neither of you thought enough of me to put a drink in each of my hands," she grinned at them, holding them both out.

* * *

sorry this took forever, major block.. i'll try as hard as i can to keep them coming like they used to.. thanks to all my readers and reviewers :)


	30. Chapter 30

"How are we supposed to find the giants?" Zavy asked Brenden, completely exasperated at how much this task of theirs was wearing them out. They didn't have much time to think with all the work they were getting, let alone sleep. A few weeks ago, they had gone to see the centaurs, having only run into Firenz, who was shunned from the rest of his herd. He told them the next piece of the puzzle was to find the giants, and that he had seen all of this in the stars. They had to complete series of tasks before the prophecy would be complete and they could go back to living their lives, whatever those happened to be.

"They're in the mountains Z, that's all I know. We have to talk to someone who could help us out," he replied, staring out the window in the corridor.

"Yeah, that's great, we want to keep this a secret, so let's just start asking everyone we think would associate themselves with giants. Brilliant there Einstein," said Zavy sarcastically at him. How could he be so rediculous sometimes?

"This would be a lot easier if you were a bit more cooperative you know," he stated dryly, turning to look at her with a look of mild frustration.

"I say we need to be a little more realistic.. We're expected to find all the pieces of this prophecy so that we make sure all our tasks are complete, and even then, after all of this bollocks, we STILL have a good chance of losing. Why don't we just hang our asses on a flag pole and wait for them to get us? 'Cause I don't like being dicked around, and I sure as HELL don't want to run all around the country chasing smoke."

"What's your point?"

"My point, idiot, is that how are we supposed to keep this a secret if we have to go to the mountains to find some giants? How will our extended absence be explained? We haven't thought this all thru yet, and it seems like you just want to run off whenever someone leads your nose in a new direction."

"It's important that we do this, or else there won't be chance we lose, it'll be absolute. I don't understand why you bitch about it if you know it all to be true. Just stop complaining and help me think, you're useless to me the way you are."

"Why don't you take the pole out of your ass, I've already thought of something, even though you happen to believe I just sit around and bitch while you do all the work. We should go talk to Hagrid, he IS half giant."

"Wow, you managed to figure something out all on your own."

"Bite me jerk!"

"You're happy."

"I'm just sick of you constantly insulting my intelligence. I'm just as smart as you, only in different areas are we better than the other. Stop being such a prick."

Brenden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She was right, he had been a prick since this task was handed to them. He wasn't particularly fond of being led around the nose, but there was nothing else they could do. He should've thought of Hagrid instantly, but with everything being so hectic, it was hard to think about anything besides a warm bed and something relaxing. She was right though, they couldn't just disappear unexplained off into the mountains without raising suspicion, especially with the way this school was nosy and the twins being protective of Zavy, most of all George. He knew that she wanted to tell their friends everything that was going on, but they just wouldn't understand, their magic world being a bit different than he and his sister. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I'm sorry Z, I've just been under a lot of stress..." he trailed, looking out the window again. "What made you think of Hagrid anyway?"

"Thinking about how we're late for class and which one I'm missing right now," she stated, waving at him and then leaving. Brenden sighed once more, staying in his spot and still staring. He would see her later, but everything else in his head needed to be worked out for now.

The thought of the mer-people telling him that they dream of passages of the prophecy made him wonder what his sister's were about. His were absolute, someone was going to die. He knew it was either himself, or Fred Weasley, seeing as it was a twin that was going to die. He knew it wasn't George or Zavy, unless something happened in random chance. If the prophecy was as absolute as Firenz declared, then he had to figure out which one of them would die, and he knew he couldn't tell anyone, not even Fred. He lived with this knowledge since he was a child, only knowing the other person because they had moved to England. Since his god father had asked him and his sister to go on this adventure, he knew that time was coming to a close, and there was nothing he could do to avoid it, that was why he was so edgy lately. Voldemort was going to rise, there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, but when he did, things would start coming to a close even sooner.

"Oi! Brenden!" he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned to look and saw none other than Fred Weasley.

"Hey..." he trailed, staring back at the window.

"Skiving off I see," said Fred as he walked to stand on the other side of the window.

"Just got a bunch on my mind," Brenden replied, putting the mask on and turning to look at Fred. Just as it always was there, the shadow of a ghost above him. He wondered how his sister could never see it, but her series of tasks was different than his. Something was going to happen him and the boy in front of him, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. "What's your excuse?"

Fred smiled, "Do I really need an excuse to be skiving off?"

"No, probably not," replied Brenden, returning the smile.

Of all the people you could run into while walking the grounds, Zavy did NOT expect to find Cedric. She was taking a stroll by herself during lunch, just enjoying the time to herself when she saw him approaching her from the other direction. She smiled at him, not fully understanding why he suddenly seemed to be around and wanting to talk to her. She had seen him around in previous years, sure, but it seemed that this year, more and more random boys were starting to talk to her. Luckily, she didn't have to deal with any Slytherins, being a Gryffindor and all, but she found it strange that they started anyway, and not when she had first come to the school completely unexplained.

"Alright Ced?" she greeted, stopping once he was in front of her.

"Can't complain. Having some trouble this year with the tournament and school, but I'll manage," he replied, smiling down at her.

"I'm sure you will. How is that egg of yours coming anyway?"

"Uh, I haven't really, well, figured it out yet."

"Well, there's still time. I'm sure you'll get it, if not, Harry might help you out again."

"Yeah, I'm kind of hoping that I'll get it before he does, so I can repay the favour."

"That's very considerate of you Ced," she smiled at him again.

He seemed to turn a slight pink, but smiled back. "Hey listen, there's the Yule Ball coming up at Christmas. I was wondering, I mean, if you're not already going with someone if maybe you wanted to go with me?"

Zavy was taken back. She heard the teachers whispering about a ball, but she didn't expect to be going, let alone having someone ask her to go. "I'm sorry Ced, but I don't plan on going to the ball. Thanks for the invite though," she replied cheerily, hoping that she didn't hurt him.

His face fell a bit, but he picked it right back up again, "It's okay Zavy. I assumed you'd be going with George anyway, but if you're not going at all, then that's fine. I'm going to go and get some lunch, would you like to walk up with me?"

Zavy had never thought about going with George at all. She nodded at Cedric and continued to ponder with idea of going with George. She wasn't really a ball type of person though, so she probably would decline, if he even bothered to ask her, which she wasn't sure if he would. The thought of him not asking her seemed to hurt her slightly, and she pondered that as well. There were some second years running at them, and by the time Zavy looked up, it was too late. They had run passed, shoving Zavy and Credric into the lake. His golden egg fell out of his bag, as well as his other belongings. The egg opened while they were under the water and a song started to eminate from it.

_Come seek us where our voices sound _

_We cannot sing above the ground, _

_And while your searching ponder this: _

_We've taken what you'll soley miss _

_An hour long you'll have to look, _

_And recover what we took, _

_But past an hour - the prospets black, _

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back_

They surfaced and looked at each other in shock. The egg was still underwater, open, but no sound came from it. Zavy submerged herself again and listened to the song once more, marveling at the voice coming from the egg. She saw Cedric reappear as well, and he stared in awe at it. They resurfaced yet again, staring at each other, smiling.

"There it is Ced, your clues to the next task," she said, breaking the silence and looking at the egg.

"I know, I'm surprised I didn't think of this," he replied.

"I wouldn't have even thought of it, it is a bit tricky."

"What are you two doing in the lake? Don't you think it's a bit cold for a swim?" said the voice of Alastor Moody, who was standing there in front of them.

"We just sort of, fell in sir," Zavy explained shyly. She didn't trust this man, he was definately NOt the same man who had come to her home at the beginning of summer.

"Is that right DelCotta?"

"Yes sir," she answered, standing up and wading out of the water.

"Off with you know, I need to talk to Diggory here."

She nodded and took one last look at Cedric, wishing him luck and then walking back to the castle. She thought of the drying spell and mentally fixed her hair before entering the castle. There was something not right about Moody, and she wanted to figure it out. She did not want to pierce his mind, seeing as he would know if she was with that magic eye. It seemed to be trying to reach out to her and her brother, and others, as if trying to warn them. There was no way of knowing what it wanted, but she was hoping that there wouldn't be anything wrong. The position of DADA teacher really was cursed, if it just so happened that someone like Moody couldn't handle it.

She walked back to the castle, deciding that she should eat something before her next lesson. She walked into the Great Hall, probing around for some of her friends. She located Brenden sitting at the Hufflepuff table with Alexandra, but knew better than to bother the two of them. They had decided to try and be friends again before the thought of courting came up. Zavy knew that they loved each other deeply, but after the issue that passed, she knew Brenden had to be careful, especially with this wild goose chase their god father had sent them on. She looked around for Fred and George, but they seemed to be m.i.a, so she decided to sit with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny. They smiled at her as she sat down beside Harry.

"Alright Zavy?" asked Ginny. Zavy had always liked the little mini Weasley. She showed tremendous spirit, and was tough from always being picked on by her brothers. Zavy would make damn well sure she could take them on easily, by any means necessary.

"How are you guys?" she replied, putting some food on a plate that magically appeared before her when she sat.

"Isn't it a little late for lunch?" asked Ron, who obviously had eaten his fill by the way he was leaning back with his hands on his belly.

"I was just out for a stroll to try and clear my head a bit. School only seems to get tougher the older you get."

"Your mad, you're taking all the advanced courses. I don't think I fancy all that."

"Just because you have the mind of a twelve year old doesn't mean we all do Ronald," snapped Hermione. She was obviously in one of her moods, "And as for you Harry, I think you should be working more on that egg. I bet the other champions have already figured it out by now."

"I told you Hermione, I'm working on it. I just.. haven't quite got it, but I will soon. Just please stop bothering me," Harry replied, obviously fed up with the way Hermione was reprimanding him about it. Zavy could see where he was coming from though, and she neglected to tell Harry about what to do with the egg, hoping that Cedric would be true to his word about helping out. She also didn't want to bring up her mission, knowing that saying anything in front of everyone wasn't the best option. It wasn't even for sure that Voldemort would rise to power again, but once he did, her and her brother had to have a long talk with young Harry.

"Where are the twins?" Zavy asked, breaking their little argument before it broke out worse. She hadn't seen either of them all day, and was wondering what was up with that.

"Funny, they were here maybe about ten minutes ago asking where you went off to," replied Ginny, staring in the direction of the entrance to the Hall.

"Did you see where they went?"

"Maybe towards the commons. I know that all of us Gryffindors have to be in the spare classroom by the end of lunch."

"Oh? Whys that?"

"Not sure actually, I just know that McGonagall made the announcement at breakfast today."

"Lame. What a day to miss breakfast. I wonder what it could be about..."

"Something to do with the tournament I reckon," said Lee Jordon, who made Zavy visibly jump when he spoke. He had snuck up on her, which meant she was keeping her guard down. That was not a smart idea, especially with the way she felt about Moody.

"The twins aren't with you?" she inquired, wondering why he was there all by himeslf.

"I thought they'd be with you?" he answered with a question.

"No, I actually haven't seen them all day."

"Fred left after second lesson to find you and George."

"Well he found George and then went looking for Zavy," Ginny put in, obviously not caring for the conversation of the golden trio anymore.

"Well, I wasn't in my second class, I had to go see Madam Pomphrey about my healing lessons," said Zavy, now thinking about where those two could have gotten.

"Oh, that reminds me, I was looking for you as well as the twin. Next week I'm going to be starting some work in the hospital wing as well, so now you don't have to fly solo," said Lee, smiling in triumph.

"Wherever did you learn such a rediculous string of words?"

"I heard one of the muggle borns saying it. Seems to be the newest thing among the younger kids. Thought I'd try it out, see how it went."

"Never speak them in my presence again."

"You want to be a Healer Lee?" asked Ginny

"Yeah, I seem to have a knack for it. Now about Fred and George..." but their question was answered when they heard a thunderous boom outside the doors to the Great Hall. All the students and staff rushed out to see what the commotion was. There in the middle of a crowd were Fred and George covered in green and silver slime, the house colours of Slytherin. They both had looks of outrage as they stared off into the direction of the dungeons. Whispers filled Zavy and Lee's ears, but they laughed at their friends, pushing past the crowd to get to them.

"What happened?" asked Lee thru his fit of laughter

"Deelstra, he got us with our own product, that prick!" Fred answered, the words seething thru his teeth. He wasn't very fond of Kyle, and now that he had used their own joke product against him, Zavy was sure there'd be war throughout the school until next year, when Kyle left.

"I don't follow..." Zavy trailed, helping them up.

"He just better watch his back from now on," said George, still staring off in the other direction. "And where have you been miss, I'm-skiving-off-all-lessons?"

Zavy sighed. She knew that he would be like this, "Brenden needed me this morning, I couldn't exactly say no."

"He DID look a bit down when I saw him earlier today. He just stared out the window the whole time while I was looking for the two of you," supplied Fred, starting to lead them to the commons. It was definately time for a shower, no way was he walking around as a Slytherin logo.

"Poor bloke must be up to his ears in school work. You as welll, taking all those advanced courses," said Lee, mostly thinking to himself.

"Well I think a shower in definately in order, don't you Gred?" said George as they walked into the commons.

"Couldn't agree more Forge," Fred answered, walking up the stairs to their dorm.

"You two better hurry up, we've got that Gryffindor meeting soon," Zavy called up at them while her and Lee waited in the commons.

All the students of Gryffindor house third year and older had gathered in a deserted classroom. Argus Filch, the caretaker was playing with an ancient music player. Their head of house stood in the middle of the room while all the girls and boys were separated at opposite ends of the room. Professor McGonagall waiting until all the late students arrived, which was starting to irritate her slightly. Zavy, Lee and the twins walked in, took one look around before getting the idea and moving to their positions. Zavy stood at the end of everyone, directly across from her friends. The students were chattering away, Angelina finding her way to Zavy, seeing as she was sitting alone. Finally, the doors closed, which meant, they would find out what this was all about.

"Thank you all for arriving. Now, where to begin. The Yule Ball, has been a tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, since it's inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because, the Yule Ball is first and foremost... a dance," announced their head of house. After those last two words, the students began to break out into conversation.

"A dance at Hogwarts? How exciting!" said Angelina, while Zavy just smiled at her antics. It seemed to be that way with every girl, while the boys seemed to be groaning at the idea of it.

"Silence!" exclaimed McGonagall trying to pursue her speech, "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening besmirching that name by acting like a bunch of babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

Zavy smirked a bit, looking over at Fred and George. She saw them whispering and laughing, knowing that they were mocking their head of house at that last statement.

"To dance," McGonagall continued, "is to breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, burning to burst forth into flight. Inside every boy a lordly lion prepared to prance, Mr. Weasley, will you join me please?" McGonagall asked, seeing Ron talking amongst Harry and Seamous. Zavy held back her laugh, looking at the twins, knowing they were not going to let their poor little brother live this one down. She walked over to him and Harry gave him a push, a smile on his face. Zavy put a hand over her mouth as she saw Ron akwardly placing a hand on McGonagall's waist, George whistling at him. It was extremely funny that he was getting lessons from their head of house, instead of choosing a girl.

"Everybody come together!" said McGonagall sternly, "Boys, on your feet!" The girls didn't need to be told twice. They all jumped to their feet and waited, all except Zavy that is, who stayed at her post leaning against a wall. None of the boys seemed to move, but to Zavy's and most likely a lot of other people's surprise, Neville stood and walked up to one of the girls. It turned out to be Ginny that offered to dance with poor Neville. Zavy smiled at the courage of the mini Weasley, liking her lack of judgement towards the the boy. He really was a clutz, but if you got him talking about plants, boy did he know his stuff. McGonagall walked around, pairing students together to make sure they all got a dance lesson and used to it. She got up to Zavy and it looked as if she was slightly smirking at her as she pretty well thrusting George at her.

They both looked a little shocked, smiling akwardly at each other before he took her hand and then put the other on her waist. They began to take their steps, cooperating and moving gracefully with each other. Zavy felt something strange come over her body as she danced with George. It felt as if she were being pulled out of the room full of people and into a world away from them all, and there was only her and George. She smiled up at him, and he returned her look, staring only into her eyes that turned the familiar pink colour.

"Look there, Miss DelCotta and Mr. Weasley have it!" said McGonagall, pointing at them. That snapped them both out of their world, and they noticed a crowd had formed around them. They stopped, Zavy turning red instantly, and the crowd went back to what they were doing. Zavy just stood there with George, smiling to herself. He never let go of her hand, and Zavy was actually considering going to the ball, only if this boy asked her to.


	31. Chapter 31

Zavy was flying around in her form of the snowy owl around the grounds. There was no purpose for it, besides that she just wanted some time to feel free and not so caged anymore. Even though she tried to clear her mind, she couldn't help but observe the mountains and the path to it. She knew with her owl wings she couldn't possibly get there safely, she'd need to pick a different way. The thought of running didn't appeal to her either. She'd need to think of a creature that could travel long distances in the mountain terrain. She swooped down and perched on a branch near the lake, gazing out into the forest. It was amazing at how much time had passed since she had first come here, and she couldn't help but think that this exact thought would occur to her once more. Her unblinking stare was interrupted by someone throwing a rock.

"OI! Stupid owl! Come here!" she heard the voice of that panzy Malfoy. She turned her head, screeched and then lunged at him, going for his eyes. She would love nothing more than to take her frustrations out on him, do some permanent damage. She knew better than that though, and she would most likely be mistake for Harry's owl anyway. She screeched once more as his retreating back before flying on up to the owlery. She made sure no one was around before she changed back into herself. She looked around and then decided to leave, seeing no reason to stay where she was.

She just turned to go out the door and then ran into none other than the little Malfoy... again. He stared at her, noticing she was Gryffindor and in the way. She glared at him, not wanting to move for him. There was no way in hell she'd let him think that she was inferior to him, she moved for no one! His fat flunkies were on either side of him, but she stood her ground. Finally, he smirked.

"You got guts girl. Not many are stupid enough to challenge me," was all he said before side stepping her and proceeding on his way. She looked over her shoulder once and then made her way down the tower and onwards to search for her brother.

She had to discuss with him the next move of their task. The holidays started tomorrow, but Zavy decided to skive off today and take some time to herself. It was the easiest way to avoid the twins as well, even though they would question her as to where she was all day. She liked how they were so protective and caring, but she hated it at the same time. She didn't like feeling like a child, like she needed them to hold her hand every step of the way, or to report where she was at all times. She'd been living long enough without parents, why would she need them now that she was almost an adult? Craziness.

She located her brother having lunch with Alex. She wondered about those two, but didn't bother to meddle in affairs that really, had nothing to do with her. She made her way there, but she saw what looked like a serious conversation between them. He was holding her hand, and she had a very sad look on her face. Zavy sighed and then looked out for some of her friends. The flash of red told her that the twins were around. She smiled, seeing that George noticed her, and then walked over to them to have some lunch. She would have to talk to her brother later, when he wasn't busy.

George was walking from potions, failing miserably for him and Zavy. He blamed her, since she decided to skive off the lesson without telling anyone. He could tell that something was bothering her, but every time him or Fred would bother to ask, she'd say it was just school work. He knew better than that though, but wasn't going to pry, she wouldn't like that. What really disturbed him, was if or how he was going to ask her to the Yule Ball. A ball didn't really seem much like her thing, and he had heard that she turned Cedric Diggory down. That made him jump for joy on the inside, except for the part where she had told Cedric she wasn't planning on going. He had a feeling that she would go if he asked her, but didn't want to assume anything. That girl was definately not one to be labelled "predictable".

The best part about her not planning on going is that there would be no guy for him to feel jealous of. Then again, this girl did admit her love for him, so he couldn't see her saying yes to anyone. He stopped and looked longingly out the window in the corridor. He couldn't help but smile at that knowledge. She loved him, and he knew it to be true, because not only did it come out of her mouth so naturally, but her eyes were always pink when he looked at them. He had to tell her that he loved her as well. He knew she was scared after saying that, so he decided to ignore it until she brought it up. He didn't see that happening, so if she said yes, he would tell her that night. He would try his hardest to make it the most magical he could, and that was a challenge being in a magical school and all. The only problem was, how was he going to ask her?

He was sure to see her in the Great Hall for lunch, but she wasn't there. He sighed and walked towards his brother and Lee, hoping that one of the had seen her. He sat down and helped himself to food, looking at the other two expectantly. They stared back in question before bursting out laughing when his face changed to annoyance.

"No idea where she is mate," said Fred, taking a drink.

"Didn't see her at all today, couldn't possibly have an idea of where she might be," snickered Lee.

George sighed yet again. Where was she?

"Are you going to grow some testicles and actually ask her to the ball now?" asked Fred.

"Yeah mate, it's coming up soon, for all you know she's already got a date," teased Lee.

"You gits not remember the story I told you about that took place in the Room of Requirement?"

"Oh we're just bothering you George, she's right there, at the entrance."

George smiled as he looked over at her. She was looking over in another direction, before smiling back at him and heading to where they sat.

"And where did you skive off to this morning young lady?" asked Fred, trying to sound angry but failing miserably with food in his mouth.

"Enjoying some me time boys, enjoying some me time. Needed to relax for a spell," she replied, winking.

"Funny."

"Have you been to any lessons at all today?" asked George.

"No, thought I deserved an extra day off. Not like I'd learn anything today anyway. How badly did you fuck up the potion genius?"

"Pure rubbish. You should've been there, I swear he picked that one on purpose when he realized you weren't going to show up."

She laughed lightly," I'd say better you than me, but I still would've gotten the full marks," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. George stared at the piercings in it, but then looked at her pink tinged eyes. He noticed they weren't as vibrant when they were around people than when they were alone. He continued to look at her as she talked with Fred and Lee, while picking at the food in front of her. He loved this girl, but wasn't sure if she knew. They hadn't talked about anything, even though she had confessed her love for him. He knew she wasn't lying, the words flowed out of her so naturally. He smiled again, hearing them in his head, making him feel as if he was flying without his broom.

"George?" she snapped her fingers in front of him. He looked back into her eyes, seeing the love she held for him shining thru the pink swirls. If only she knew, but he couldn't figure out why he hadn't said anything. He knew how she felt, so why was it hard now? "George?" she questioned again. He blinked and then looked for his brother. It seemed that Fred and Lee had vacated the scene. Bastards, they were setting him up and he knew it.

"Yeeeesssss darling?" he answered, turning back to her and then grinning.

She blushed slightly, "Just wanted to make sure your brain cell was still intact," she replied smirking.

"Aren't you full of fun today. Where'd those two go?"

"I don't know, they just said they were leaving and that was that. You seemed to be off staring into space, so I'm not surprised as to whether you heard them or not."

"Brilliant," they left him to make his move, that much was obvious... to him at least. "Hey Z..."

Zavy looked at him curious. There were numerous things she'd love to hear from this boy, but many things that she'd prefer not to know. They hadn't discussed her outburst in the Room of Requirement, and she was afraid if that conversation were to pop up again. She had no idea what she would say, nor what she would do about such a thing. It was one thing to fool around, it was one thing to fancy, but it was a BIG thing to love. She wished she could go back in time and just take it back.

"George?" she questioned, noticing that once again he had trailed off.

"Right, I was wondering if maybe... I don't know... you possibly... I mean, if you're not busy... go to the Ball with me?" there it was. Moment of truth starts now.

Zavy was not prepared for this question. She had been considering going to the Ball, but only if this boy asked her. She hadn't made a decision as to whether she was going or not, but she also didn't want to hurt him. What was she to do? He was waiting for an answer, one that she wasn't sure she could give him. _Bugger..._ She didn't think he WOULD actually ask her, why do boys ruin everything? Really, everything was much more complicated now that he actually said something.

George watched her as she thought. Her eyes stayed the same pink colour, so he knew that she was thinking good. He kept his gaze on her, trying to figure out what to expect. He watched as her eyes changed from that vibrant pink, to a kind of darker shade. She was in deep thought, and unsure as to what to do. The problem with Zavy, was that she wasn't an ordinary girl. He noticed that while all the other girls were out getting their dress robes and finding a date, she could care less about what was going on around her. In fact, she seemed the most uninterested than any guy around. He suddenly felt very foolish for asking to go with him now.

She was just about to answer, "George-"

"OI! ZAVY!" they heard the voice of Brenden coming towards them. George sighed. Now she was going to disappear, and he wouldn't really see her until possibly the day of the Ball. The two of them spent a lot of time together lately, as if they were planning something. He felt slightly hurt that she hadn't shared the information, but he wasn't stupid enough to pry. "How long have you been here?" questioned Brenden. He sounded agitated.

"Quite a while actually. You were having a crack with Alex. Didn't think I should disturb you," she answered calmly.

"Well, come on then. I don't have much time, and I'll be busy with the Ball and such."

"You're going to the Ball?"

"You're not?"

"Well-"

"I am going," Brenden butted in, Zavy being grateful, as George was still sitting right there, "That's what Alex and I were talking about. She didn't want to go alone, but she didn't want to go with anyone else, so we're going as friends."

"Good on ya. About time you grew a pair of testicles."

"You must really be in a good mood today sis."

"Nothing special. Shall we then?" she asked before turning to George, "I'm sorry, we'll talk later if that's alright with you?"

He put on his best grin, "Anything for you Z."

She smiled at him once more before leaving the Hall with her brother. As much as she would like to spend the time with him, this task came first. She suspected Brenden wouldn't have come at her so boldly unless he's thought of something, which worked for her. She only hoped he didn't think of the same thing she did, or else they would've gotten nowhere. It would be nice to just not have to worry about this, but even nature itself was telling her that something was wrong. She could practically taste it in the air, and that scared her. She knew her brother and even her god father sensed it as well. Time was most definately of the essence.

The day most anticipated seemed to have arrived faster than Zavy hoped. It was Christmas Eve, meaning it was time for the Ball. She had for the most part succeeded in avoiding George. She didn't know why she avoided his question, but for some reason, she felt that it was supposed to happen this way. In fact, today was one of those strange feelings where her consciousness was pushed aside and some other force was controlling her. She wasn't very interested in doing much of anything besides lying in her bed until this day was over.

George was sitting in the Hall at dinner. He was mopey, watching everyone get ready for the Ball, ready to have a great time. He hadn't seen Zavy since she left with her brother that one day, so he never got his answer. But her disappearance was a good enough answer. He didn't understand. If she claimed to love him, then why would she avoid him? Then again, no one had seen, not all day. He knew she loved her food, so why wasn't she here? This seemed to be the third meal that she didn't show up for. Maybe something happened to her?

"Cheer up mate, I'm sure there will be tonnes of girls that will want to dance with you," said Lee.

"He don't want them, he wants his precious Zavy," teased Fred.

"And you're sure you haven't-"

"NO!" they replied together.

"No one has seen her apart from her dorm mates, and we all know those girls are too busy getting ready for tonight. At least, my date better bloody well be," said Fred, looking at the Hall for Angelina. "Oi, there's Brenden. Go on then, pester him for a bit."

George decided to do just that. He marched his way up to Brenden intent on getting answers, or at least, getting him to contact her. Brenden hadn't spotted him, but one could tell that he was waiting for his date, Alexandra.

"Oi, Brenden," George called as he reached his destination.

"George?"

"Have you seen your bloody sister? She's been missing all day."

"Typical. She's probably in her dorm if you haven't even seen her out for meals."

"Could you...?" George made a gesture with his hand.

Brenden sighed, "I'll see if she's there, but I won't talk to her for you. On your own for that one mate." Brenden reached out his mind in search of the dormitory. He saw his sister there, lying on the bed.

-What are you doing?- he asked her.

-Sitting, and waiting for the day to end-

-I take it your avoiding George?-

-No. Just got one of those feelings that I should be here today-

-I see. Then you weren't supposed to go to the Ball after all-

-Nope, I suppose not-

-Enjoy your night-

-I don't like that tone- But his voice was gone. He turned to George and nodded at him once. George smiled and then took off, to where, Brenden could only assume the commmons.

George was waiting until the majority of students were gone. He didn't have long to wait, but knew that this was the right thing to do. Though he had a good night planned for him and Zavy if she had said yes, a new plan formulated instantly when he heard that she was in her room. He had this feeling that she would be there all night, and he would make damn well sure she wasn't alone. This was is, no more games, it was time to get serious. He didn't want to live with confusion, and he was sure that after her outburst she was confused. The time, was now.

She was sleeping when he walked in. There was a book in her lap, one he recognized from a birthday gift that just passed. It was quite a day for her, but she's strong. He sat down on the bed, and thought of a way to wake her. He grabbed the book from her hands, marked her page, and then placed it gently on the night table. He shook her awake, not wanting to startle her. He watched as her heavy lids revealed the beauty of her eyes. She rubbed them, and then focused on the last person she expected to see sitting before her.

"George?" she asked tiredly.

"Yes love?"

"What are you doing here?"

He bent down and kissed her. He had a whole plan as to what he wanted to do. It seemed as if his mind was pushed aside and some higher force had taken over. It was a soft kiss, barely grazing her lips. He pulled back to look at her once more. He smirked, seeing that she looked unsatisfied. He put an arm on her other side, and kissed her once more. It seemed like forever since he had seen her, touched her. She was what made everything okay, better, happier. There was never a dull moment with her, and he knew there never would be. What made things even better, is that he already knew that she loved him.

She did indeed love him, love everything about him. Here he was, almost like being in a fantasy, and yet, she knew it was real. She pulled him close, so that now he was lying down beside him. She knew what was going to happen, but she knew that it was right. There was never a moment with George that felt wrong, awkward yes, but never wrong. Was this also part of her prophecy? Part of the obscure task she was destined to complete? A bell tone seemed to go off in her head at that last thought. She really loved this boy.

They kissed, and kissed, and kissed once more. Her eyes were the colour of purples, reds and pinks, all standing out and swirling around in a hypnotic way. She surprised him, like she always managed to do, and placed a cold hand on his lower back. It moved to feel his nicely defined muscles, something she had seen and been craving it. He pulled her close, moving his mouth to her neck, right under neath her ear. She let out a content sigh, her hand moving towards his belt.

It wasn't long later that the two of them became one. It was the first time she had let go of everything, all over her barriers were dropped. This was something the two of them wanted for years, maybe longer. This was something they had been wanting, something that only destiny could bring them. This... was right. Every thrust drove her closer to her edge, every sound she made made him crazier. It was perfect, and filled with so much passion that fire started to form around them. The flames seemed to dance with them, but no heat came, and nothing burnt.

George was amazed at how she could control this in the state she was in. Her body reacted to his perfectly, and in the light of the flames, he could see how beautiful she truly was. She was a goddess, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world to be with her at this moment. The rhythm was perfect, and soon, he could feel her getting ready. He held on as long as he could, he had to get her first. Finally, she let out a cry of his name, and not too long after, he did the same for her. He held her close, still inside, and still on her. She leaned her head into his, seeing as she couldn't move any part of her. He could feel her breath on him, the sweat of both mingling with each other.

She smiled to herself, "I love you..." she whispered in her head at him. They laid there until they regained themselves, and then George got up. He pulled himself out carefully, and then turned on the light. He was not prepared for the sight that was waiting for him. Blood, all over himself, her, and her bed.

"Zavy... I... had no idea..."

"S'alright George, but this is a bit embarassing. I'll take care of it, though I hope this isn't your first memory of me," she winked at him. In a single thought, the blood was cleaned up from everywhere it seemed to leak. George was still in shock, staring at her with his mouth agape.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes it bloody well does! I could've hurt you, or maybe you made the wrong decision, weren't ready?"

"George, I'm sure by my age, I was ready, if it hurt, I would've told you, and you can't bloody well tell me that any of that felt wrong at all. On the contrary, it felt the like the only right thing in my life that even managed to make any sense. I enjoyed myself, especially knowing that you picked me to be with tonight instead of finding some other skank, which I'm sure wouldn't be a problem.

George looked at her in alarm at her last words. He walked over to her, and pulled her close, "I only asked you to the Ball, I only wanted to go with you. There was no one that even crossed my mind besides you. I had such a great night planned for us, but I suppose it all seemed to work out in the end innit?"

She snuggled into him, "Indeed it did," she replied smiling, "Turn the light off, it's sleepy time."

He smiled at how adorable that sounded, "Anything for you love, anything for you."

"Zavy..." he whispered after she was securely against him.

"Yes...?" she replied faintly.

"I love you."


	32. Chapter 32

The word that Zahava DelCotta and George Weasley were dating came as a surprise to no one. It seemed as if most students were telling the story as finally, they're together. There were many jealous kids around, mostly the older years, but that didn't seem to bother anyone. Zavy was happy, she couldn't describe this feeling that took over at just the sight of him, let alone being close to him. He held her hand in the corridors, constantly did things to make her laugh, and was always stealing kisses when he could. It seemed that her face hurt from smiling so much, but she couldn't help it, she was in love! Every moment spent with him was pure bliss, whether people were around or not. Some girls gushed at his semantics, while others looked on with the evil glares.

George had to be the happiest guy in the world. He loved this girl so much, and the feeling seemed to intense now that she was with him. He loved to be around her, loved knowing that he was the reason she was smiling, and loved her so much he flaunted it to everyone. Everything felt different to him now, and he wished it would never end. If this felt so great, he vaguely wondered why he didn't do something like this a lot sooner. It seemed that there was so much time wasted, so he had to make up for it somehow. Fred liked to point out the stupid grin on George's face all the time, and busted out all the jokes they sensed he had been dying to let out. The only thing that really seemed to matter, is that he literally had the girl of his dreams.

The buzz from their relationship started to die down, seeing as the second task was approaching fast. Zavy knew that Cedric was ready, having talked to him about it earlier that week, but she wasn't sure about Harry. He kept insisting to everyone, mainly Hermione, that he had everything figured out, but she suspected that such was not the case. She was hoping that Cedric had told Harry what he should do by now, but knew that it wasn't her task to meddle in. She had her own things to focus on, like how to take a leave of absence without raising suspicion, especially now to her boyfriend. She smiled at that last thought. She had a boyfriend, and it was someone she truly loved. This first couple of months seemed to fly by, but she was certain that it was going to last a very long time. She could accept that, loving the thought of a future with George.

What came as a surprise to everyone was Kyle Deelstra. He didn't look on with hate or anything like that, but regret. He seemed to disappear a lot more than usual, and Zavy could see the depression in his eyes. She felt a small pang of sympathy for him, but she never thought about Kyle in anyway besides a friend. She could sense something about him, something dark that could affect her in the near or far future. It was feelings like this she never ignored, knowing that they usually didn't lead her astray. She felt George move beside her on the couch, and smiled when she felt him take her hand. She squeezed it, leaning her head on his shoulder and taking herself out of the depths of her mind. Fred and Lee were sitting with them in the commons, another day gone by. It seemed that the boys were planning something big, but didn't quite have the idea they were looking for.

"We're going to need supplies before we start anything new," Fred was saying to George and Lee, "We've perfected most of the candies, but we'll need more than just that."

"Our potions shouldn't be too bad, especially with Zavy here to help us," said George, releasing her hand and putting an arm around her. He looked down and smiled at her, kissing her forehead.

"Just leave those to me," she smiled back at him.

Brenden seemed to have quite the riot with his sister finally being with George. His problem now was their task, and how this complicated things. It was bad enough that George was protective of her when they weren't together. Now that they're dating, it'll make it harder for them to go on missions and pursue their task. It seemed that they were delayed now that Zavy was with him. Brenden hadn't really seen his sister since that, and it was starting to annoy him. However, now that they knew about this prophecy, he couldn't help but feel that his sister and George getting together was apart of it. He didn't wanna rain on her parade, but it had been a while and it was time to get serious. Unless his god father said otherwise, they were not to reveal anything to anyone about what they were doing. The knowledge could easily be lifted from anyone other than him and Zavy. He sighed. How was he supposed to get Zavy away from George for even just five minutes.

He wandered to where she might be, briefly searching with his mind. It seemed that lately he didn't like to use his mind, made him feel like he was more vulnerable to outside attacks. Though he knew right now there wasn't anything to fear, he decided it would be best to keep his guard up. He wondered how his sister was doing with this big distraction now, if she was still focused in the slightest. He knew that she would be grumpy when he had to pull her away from what looked like the happiest she's ever been. He didn't want to do that to her, but this was necessary. She was in the courtyard, sitting with George, so that was where he was headed.

Zavy could sense her brother's presence near by. She sighed, knowing that it was probably time to start focusing on her task again. She looked at George, who was staring off into space. She smiled at him, and then planted a kiss on his cheek. She could feel his smile on her lips.

"I have to tell you something," she whispered.

"What is it love?" he asked. She smiled at the last word, knowing that it has more meaning now than it ever did. Then again, George was the only one to call her love. She moved her mouth closer to her ear, and then licked him, before giggling and attempting to move away.

"Oh, I don't think so," he declared, scooping her up and holding her in place with one arm. He used the other hand to get to her sensitive spots, trying to either make her laugh, or just tease her. They hadn't gotten close to having sex again since the first night, and George wasn't about to pressure her.

"Noo!" she screamed thru her fit of giggles, trying to break free. She cheated, using a bit of her power to get him to release her.

"That's not fair," he said, pouting a bit. She smiled at him, reaching her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. It was soft and warm, if she were standing, she would've melted, "I love you so much Zavy," he whispered against her lips. She smiled and kissed him again.

"Good to know," she stated, smirking at him.

"Good to know?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup."

"You bitch."

"Awe, and here I thought you never noticed," she laughed and then pulled him in for another kiss, "I love you."

Brenden widened his eyes when he reached the courtyard. He was not expecting to see his sister in the position that she was. He had the knowledge that they'd be together in all aspects of the word, but seeing it was something completely different. He turned around and hoped that when he looked again they'd be in a more decent position... sitting up maybe? And on opposite sides of the bench perhaps? He sighed, like that would ever happen again. He went to look at them again and rolled his eyes. He went out, deciding it was time to ruin her fun, no matter how much she bitched about it.

"Are you done yet?" he asked, calling out to them so he wouldn't have to look at the scene any longer.

Zavy sighed, letting her head fall. George got off her, and sat down at her feet, pulling them on his lap, "What do you want homo?"

"I thought maybe we could have some brother and sister time, since I haven't seen you in ages."

"I'm busy."

"You got that right, busy with me. Dumbledore wants to see us."

"Does he really? Or are you just jealous that I spend more time with George than you?"

"He really does sis, he really does. I honestly wouldn't want to ruin your snogging."

Zavy groaned. She knew this was coming, but was hoping to avoid it for just a bit longer. She moved to stand looking sadly at George. He smiled at her, stood, and kissed her before she walked away with her brother. They walked towards their god father's office in silence, seeing as no words needed to be said. Brenden however, was slightly curious about his sister, and hadn't had the chance to talk to her since she started dating George.

"So, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm good, I really am," she answered. Brenden knew it to be true, by the sound of her voice.

"I take it your mind hasn't been focusing on our task?"

"Slightly, but for the most part no."

"I understand though. It's nice to see you happy sis."

"Thanks."

They arrived at his office, saying the password to the owl. She noticed he loved sweets, since all his passwords had something to do with them. They stepped onto the stairs, waiting to be taken up to their god father's place. They didn't hear any voices in there, so they just walked in. He was not present at his desk. They approached anyway, knowing he would be back to see them soon. Zavy sat in front of Fawkes, who seemed to be getting old again. She couldn't count how many times she had watched the cycle of life thru the little phoenix, but she liked the thought of eternity. Even though it seemed that he didn't last forever, he did, being reborn once again. She smiled at the creature, sensing her god father coming near. He stepped out of his room and descended down the stairs to sit at his desk. He smiled at them, as they patiently waited for what he had to say.

"It's been a while since the three of us had some time to talk," he started, looked between the both of them. "How fares your mission?"

"Well, we've been to see the centaurs and the mer-people. We're still working on going to see the giants. Probably would've been there and back by now, but we ran into a little delay," Brenden explained, looking over at his sister. She was fixed on the bird, but he knew she heard everything.

"I have heard, and seen somewhat. How do you plan to get to the giants? They live far in the mountains, and your absence would be hard to explain."

"We're going to fly. Running I'm sure would work, but the higher altitudes, we've decided to just fly and get a better view of things. Falcons I think is what we decided on a couple months ago," Zavy explained, still playing with Fawkes. The phoenix had always taken a liking to her.

"Have you by chance figured out how to explain your absence? Especially to George?"

"No sir," they answered in unison.

"Perhaps this will need to be delayed longer. Apparition lessons will be happening soon, so that will distract Mr. Weasley for a couple weeks. Do you know the exact location of where your going?"

"We've looked it up on the map, so we've got a pretty good idea. When we need to rest, we can hunt for our food, so nothing like that should be a problem. Just explaining why we aren't around for a while is the hard part," said Brenden, pondering how to get this to work.

"Family trip..." Zavy trailed, so Fawkes rubbed his head against her finger.

"What?"

"Why don't we just tell our friends we're going on a family trip. We can do it while apparation lessons are going on, we'll just have to make sure to be back before they end, or on the day of. But since our friends know that we already have that ability, then thats the excuse we can use say-"

"Say that you're taking us on a trip so that we're not bored," Brenden finished for her.

"Excellent. I wouldn't mind hiding away for two weeks just to encourage that belief. I'll have to explain to the teachers why I'll be going away. Where are we going?"

"Back home?" Zavy sounded a bit hopeful. She wanted to see her native land.

"I don't think that's a smart idea Z, our enemies know that's where were from."

"Right..." she looked at her feet.

"Italy?"

"What's in Italy?"

"What's not in Italy?"

"Who are you? Me? How about Romania instead?"

"What's in Romania then?"

"Dracula's castle..." Zavy trailed, looking away in wonder.

"That does sound like you, but then we'd have to stop by and see Charlie."

"Confound it all!" Zavy threw her hands in the air dramatically.

"Since when do you say confound?"

"Since you touch yourself at night."

"Alright children. There is still time yet to think about it. Maybe we should meet sometime soon and discuss it. A month before would do, that way you can spread the word, make it more believable instead of last minute," Dumbledore interrupted their squabbling. Zavy sighed. This mission was going to be the death of her, even if it was supposed to keep her alive.

"Paris," stated Brenden simply.

"Paris?" Zavy questioned.

"Yeah, Paris. It's somewhat close, and we can say that it's the only time you'll have for us since you'll be busy in the summer," Brenden explained, gesturing to his god father.

"Well done dear boy. I will take that vacation to Paris, take some photographs, and then you two can practice your power on them. When you return, I shall have them ready, and you will insert your image into the photo. Have either of you started to work on something like that?" said Dumbledore, beaming at his god children. They seemed to be maturing faster than he had anticipated.

"I've put an idea into someone's head before. Is that kind of the same idea?" asked Zavy, briefly thinking about the beginning of the school year, when she had gotten on the train.

"It is similar in some aspects. Try and practice if you can during the next couple of months. If we don't talk before then, I shall see you when the time comes. You are dismissed, and good luck to you both in your studies," he smiled at them. They were coming a long way, and he felt foolish for worrying in the summer about how they were progressing. He loved those children to death, and was prepared to help them every step of the way. They didn't know that he to felt the omen lurking in the air around them, that he could see and feel the signs just as well. He didn't have a doubt that they would be ready when the time came.

"Hey Zavy..." George whispered in her ear. They were hiding away from people in the Room of Requirement. It was the weekend, but days never really seemed to matter to them, they'd skive if they wanted to. It was maybe a week later since she had seen her god father, and she had informed George of the news of the possible trip coming along. He held her close, loving that feeling of her near him. His hand was in hers, and her head rested in the junction of his neck and shoulder. She was absently playing with his fingers, moving them around. He smiled down at her, even though she wasn't showing any signs that she had heard him. He pulled her tighter to him, and she looked up with her pink eyes. They seemed to have a calm looking blue swirling in them, swirling around in the hypnotic way of hers. He kissed her forehead, then both of her cheeks, before capturing her lips. It was soft, but meaningful, as he seemed to be constantly drawn to her. He wasn't sure if she had any idea of how much she really meant to him, how perfect she was, or how amazing she made him feel. He retreated slowly, loving the feeling of her breath on his face.

"You were saying..." she trailed. She noticed that she had been doing that a lot lately. In a way she felt like Luna, trailing her voice in a dreamy sort of way, but her mind was just so occupied as of late.

"I forgot, your distracted me."

"I have that effect on people."

"They better leave you alone then."

"You don't have to worry."

"I'll always worry about you love."

She smiled, "I love you George. I've never loved anyone in my life, so I don't know what to compare it to, but I know I love you."

"I love you. I'm happy that I can show you things you've never experienced before."

"It's quite the adventure."

"Indeed, and with you, I think it always will be."

"What does that mean?"

"Just that you're pretty much the only person I've ever known that could surprise me."

"Oh. Good."

"That's it?"

"I don't follow?"

"Good is all you have to say about being able to startle the great George Weasley?"

She raised a brow at him, "Great?"

"Yeah, great. I am great."

"Suuuurreee."

"What do you mean sure?"

"I mean sure. Meaning, there's no way you being great could even compare to me."

"Alright, you win."

"What?" she was truly confused now.

"You're not great at all, you're amazing in every way."

"And you're a corny ass fuck. Kissing ass doesn't get you anywhere babe."

He smiled at her, "I love you Z. Don't ever change..." he took a chance, "... babydoll."

"Excuse you?" she widened her eyes at him, turning slightly red. He grinned at her, not expecting a reaction like this.

"Why? Did I fart?"

"Oh, now you're calling me rediculous names AND stealing my lines? I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, but I don't think we can continue if this is the way it's going to be," she dramatically put a hand to her forehead.

"Well Miss DelCotta, good thing I already know that your bluffing."

"Prove it!"

He kissed her and she melted in his arms. Damnit George! He seemed to be the only one she could submit to, the only one that brought herself out to true potential. She loved this boy more than she knew, and was looking forward to experiencing what this was all about. She knew that he would be true to her, she didn't know how she knew, but she did. It seemed that his simple kiss to silence her prove a point turned into a snog. Zavy wondered briefly why humans seemed to always want sex to celebrate their love, but feeling him cancelled that thought out. She had never had sex for just pleasure, there was always meaning behind it. She hoped she would never have sex for just pleasure, not wanting to go thru the trouble of having to lose George, or letting someone else thru her barriers.

He was doing it again, finding all those sensitive spots she never knew she had. She couldn't figure out how he always managed to do this to her. She moved so that she was on her knees beside him, pulling back away from him. She looked into his eyes, that feeling taking over her body, seeing the love he had for her shining in them. She held his gaze, never wanting to look upon anything else. Everything was so different, and she couldn't help but wonder what made her wait so long, why she didn't realize this so much sooner.

Her eyes were full of pinks, purples, reds and a slight blue. He loved their colours, and that they shone only for him. She was as always, a goddess, divine, and just perfect. He kissed her again, snaking an arm around her and pulling her closer to him. She had one leg on each side of him, but hovered above. One hand was on his shoulder, and the other at the back of his head, playing with his hair. She pulled back, sucking on his bottom lip as she did so. Sexy. His hands had found their way to her hips, holding her in place. Godric, he wanted this girl so badly, to show her again his love in a physical way. She put her forehead against his, her breath a little heavier than before. He proceeded to kiss at her neck, memorizing her most favourite spots, and treasuring the sounds coming from her. His hand traveled under her shirt and up her bare back lightly, making her shiver.

She did her best to support herself, but was finding it difficult. The desire seemed to be to much, she would lose control very soon. There was just the matter of this itching on her neck. It seemed to distract her from the wonderfulness of George. She tried to put it out of her mind, but it seemed that the more she tried, the more it itched. It finally started to burn and she had to pull back. She itched at her neck, George looking at her curiously.

"I'm sorry, but for some reason this thing is burning me," she explained, seeing the look on his face.

"Weird," he stated, still watching her. She grabbed the pendant and thats when she remembered what it meant when the thing started to itch.

-Where are you?- Brenden's voice sounded in her head.

-I'm in a place and time with George, what do you want?-

-The second task is starting, you need to be here-

-Why? I wasn't at the first one-

-Maybe because we happen to be the only two at the moment that know where to find the mer-people castle?-

-I'm pretty sure our god father knows where to find that as well-

-Then why would he ask me to locate you and tell you to get your ass here?-

-He did not say that-

-He did, otherwise I'd leave you to your own devices-

-Our god father has never uttered a sentence with the word ass in it without mocking one of us-

-One of us? How about just you?-

-Did you not just use it?-

-Fine Z, just get here-

-I'm busy- but his voice was gone. Zavy sighed, knowing that she had to go. She looked sadly at George, who was still staring at her confused.

"The second task is about to start, Brenden decided to inform me and Dumbledore wants me there," she told him. George widened his eyes.

"Shit! Fred and I are supposed to be taking bets on it! He's going to kill me if I'm not there."

Zavy laughed, "Well, shall we then?"

"Not quite yet."

"Hm?" but her question was answered when he kissed her, taking full advantage of her bum so close to his hands. She gave him a complete Zavy look when he pulled back. He grinned at her, moving her so that they could stand. She searched with her mind for her brother, and found them at some stands in the middle of the lake. She could see the champions lining up to dive in. She concentrated on where her brother was, further from onlookers, as they were all focused on the four champions. She held George's hand and apparated to that spot. They arrived just as Harry was pushed in.


	33. Chapter 33

_Two have now become one_

_The greatest task has begun_

_The time is drawing near_

_No good to live in fear_

_Evil will rise once again_

_And continue on its old train_

_This is your fate_

_There is no escape_

_Are you ready?_

Zavy opened her eyes slowly. The dreams had stopped bothering her now that she knew what they were. This was a new one, started right about the time she dated George. It helped the feeling that what she was doing happened to be right, but then again, it could be coincidence. That was a stupid thought. When dealing with prophecy business, there was no such thing as coincidence. The time for apparation lessons was coming soon, and she would be departing. George knew that she was going on a trip with her brother and god father to Paris, but not the real deal. She wished that she could tell him, but was unsure of how he would react. She hadn't kept secrets from him, except for this one. The school year was almost over, and she was going to show George her flat in the summer, get him over there for some time. She didn't want to hide anymore, at least, not from him.

She smiled when she felt the arm he had draped around her pull her closer to him. They had been doing that a lot lately, spending nights with each other. Zavy decided that the girls would probably feel weird about having a boy in their dorm, so she stayed with him in his instead. Fred and Lee didn't seem to mind, and were kind of expecting it anyway. She didn't want to be dependent on him being there though, she wanted to be able to sleep on her own as well. She hated it when girls got a boyfriend and then couldn't do anything without them. How did you live before him you dumb broad? She'd kill herself before she became like that, she wanted to keep her independence.

George loved the idea of her being here in the morning when he woke up. The dream that he had every night, though annoying, didn't seem to bother him when he woke up and saw her beautiful face next to him. Sometimes she was still asleep, sometimes she was already awake, but he loved it. Did he mention how much he loved it? No? Then let's make it clear, HE LOVED IT! There seemed to be nothing better than that, other than the odd time that Fred and Lee were gone and he could have a morning shag. Actually, that was more of a bonus. He kissed her forehead and looked down at her. She was awake, looking up at him with her pink eyes. He smiled at her, pulling her close and kissing her.

"Morning love," he whispered.

"Hello," came her tired reply. She turned to face him, as he nuzzled into her neck. He kissed her again, and she loved every minute of it. She was happy, and that seemed to be all that mattered to him.

"I love you so much Zavy," he told her sincerely. She kissed him, always having her breath taken away when he said that to her. She briefly searched in her mind for Fred and Lee and noticed that they were gone. Perfect. She swung her leg over him and moved so that she was on top of him. He grinned, already liking where this was going. She smirked at him in that seductive way of hers before kissing him again. Their hips rubbed against each other as George took his wand, casting some wards in case the other members of the dorm returned. Their kisses became more desperate, as the desire started to rise. A fire ignited in her stomach as he peeled off her shirt. One thing she loved about George is he believed in sleeping in as little clothing as possible. So did she, but there happened to be other occupants she had to worry about.

She nipped at his lip playfully as his hands ran down her body. He loved the feeling of her, of all her curves. On his second way down her body, he went with light fingertips, making her shudder while she kissed him. His fingers lightly traced over the hem of her shorts before finding their way in there and teasing her. She seemed to be focused on what she was doing, so he slammed a finger in her, knowing her sweet spot and she stopped abruptly, moaning and looking at him. The element of surprise worked well, as he pulled out and doubled his efforts. He slammed two fingers this time, nearly causing her hands to give out. He rolled her onto her side, staring into her eyes that seemed to be losing focus as he continued to pleasure her. Somehow in his exploits he had let her slip a hand into his own boxers. He really had no idea she was going there until he felt cold fingers wrap around his member.

His speed slowed, the blood draining from one head and into the other. She had very talented hands, something he never failed to notice. She smirked, knowing that she had him literally by the balls. She moved to kiss him, but he put his forehead against hers. Both of them were breathing heavy at the others antics. He stared into her eyes, that grew red and purple with passion. She wanted nothing but him, and at that very moment, he knew it. He kissed her softly on her forehead before he moved away, pulling her pants with him. She watched his every move, that same look in her eye. When he hovered over it, he was near her navel, kissing at it and using his tongue to play with the piercing there a bit. He wasn't going to stop there, oh no. He moved lower, kissing his way down as he went. He kissed her most sensitive spot before letting his tongue explore. Her hands gripped the sheets so hard that her knuckles were white. She was buckling, unable to control herself. This did not go unnoticed, as he continued to focus on that one spot, causing her to nearly scream. Her moans were getting more urgent, and then she came, her last breath releasing the sheets from her death grip.

George liked to make her go first, because right after she was incredible sensitive, and that was always fun for him. She sighed contently, her eyes closed. He smirked, deciding to surprise her again. He positioned himself and then thrust into her. Hard. Her eyes opened wide as her head lifted to look, moaning the whole time. She looked at him and he saw she had an orange glow in her eyes, something he had never seen before. She grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to kiss her. It was hungry and urging, as he continued to thrust deep and hard. She wrapped a leg around him, supporting herself with one of her elbows. He supported her lower back, as her hips wanted to drive into him. He was losing control, and fast. That was not good, he had to get her again before it was his turn. He dived at her neck, trying to enhance her feelings. He could feel the room getting hotter and he looked around. Fire, just like the first night. It circled around him, but it started to change colours rapidly and then disappeared completely once he felt her go limp. He vaguely heard the cry of his name, as his time came shortly after.

Zavy struggled to keep consciousness. She was so overwhelmed she nearly passed out. George didn't even bother moving, just laid gently on top of her. Her breathing was finally starting to become steady, as she held her lover. They were both covered in sweat, and she found that gross but rewarding. He had finally started to regulate his breathing, and she ran a hand thru his hair, tracing random shapes on his shoulder.

"I love you," she smiled at him, and it was in the moment that she truly realized the depth of it. She had never loved anyone or anything as much as this boy lying on top of her. He kissed her, somehow sensing what she was thinking. In actuality, he felt that same thing at the very same time.

"I love you Z. Come on now love, let's go clean up and get something to eat."

"Typical, hungry after sex."

He chuckled, "I can't help that you're so amazing."

"You are dangerous Mr. Weasley."

"Happens to be one of my middle names m'dear."

She giggled, feeling him take himself out of her. She felt slightly empty without him there, but they made sure no one was about before walking naked to the bathroom to have a shower.

The weather was getting warmer, summer was on the way. School was coming to an end, but it seemed to Zavy that there was still much to do. In a week she would be leaving with Brenden to find the giants, George would be taking apparation lessons, and Harry would be facing his last task. This year was going by faster than she thought, yet the feeling of dread seemed to only get stronger with each passing day. Brenden felt it to, that much was for sure. Something was going to happen, and it was going to happen before the end of the year. She already knew that they had to be back before the third task was over. She was walking in the corridor, sneaking off early from her last lesson. She was searching for her brother, seeing as they needed to make sure everything was ready for next week.

She saw him standing near the tower with Harry of all people. He was the last person she expected him to bed with, but smiled at them anyway. She was fond of the boy, and knew that she had to keep an eye on him. They waited until she caught up with to them, before heading into the tower and sitting in the commons. Students were outside, seeing as it was a nice day, or they were in lessons. Either way, the commons were like a ghost town. They sat down, Zavy obviously missing out on something. Harry sat in front of the twins, and they waited for him to begin. She looked at her brother confused.

"Harry said he needs to speak with us," he told her. Zavy looked at the boy in question.

"I've been having this dream lately," Harry began. Brenden and Zavy looked at each other in alarm, "It's about Voldemort. He's planning something, something that has to do with me, and then the last time I had this dream, he spoke of... Well, of both of you."

"What do you mean?" asked Brenden.

"I don't know exactly. But its like he's planning something. In my dream, there is Voldemort, that part is for sure, and Wormtail. There is also someone else I don't recognize and a big snake. They're in this room talking about how they need me. After they make the plans, they say that they're coming after you two."

"But even if that were true, how could he even know what we're still alive?" Zavy turned to Brenden. He shrugged, that part puzzling him as well. Zavy looked back at Harry, "Does he say anything else? Anything at all?"

"Not really. He wants to kill me, and capture one or both of you. Do you know what any of it means?"

"Listen... Have you taken the oath?" asked Brenden.

"Oath?"

"The one sworn to the secrecy of my sister and I?"

"Oh that one. Of course."

"Then it means exactly how it sounds. If Voldemort is going to rise to power, he's going to come after the three of us. Me and my sister have already been on a task to try and ensure that something like this doesn't happen. In fact, about a week from now we will be departing to gain more knowledge."

"Task? What kind of task?"

"I'm sorry Harry, but we can't discuss this with anyone. We're not even for sure that this is all going to happen," Zavy took over, "But if this is truly a vision, then how in the fucking hell could he know of us?"

"Working on it Z," said Brenden.

"Wormtail," stated Harry. The twins looked at him.

"Wormtail?" they questioned.

"He was in the Weasley family for 12 years. Until just last year, he was there, and you two have been around Fred and George, been to their house and whatnot. He could've been listening in on anything and you would've thought nothing of it. He hasn't been placed under the oath, he's free to speak of you as he pleases."

Zavy's faced paled. She felt sick to her stomach. How could they have forgotten that little detail? So now it was definite. If Voldemort came back to power, and there was no doubt in Zavy's mind that he would, he already knew of their existence, there would be no escape, the prophecy would be fulfilled. But it wasn't for sure, he was still not in power yet, or she would've felt it, that was for sure. She could feel her anxiety building up, she had to do something, something to calm down. She apparated out of there.

"Is she alright?" Harry asked, alarmed that she did such a thing so abruptly.

"She'll be fine, she's just... spooked. This is something I don't think anyone has taken into calculation, and to be honest, I'm a little freaked out as well," answered Brenden, feeling the need to calm himself as well.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything..."

"Don't think that. You've done well, just make sure you don't repeat ANYTHING that we've said to you. Especially not the twins, we can't have anyone interfere with what we're doing. If the twins know, especially George, we'll have problems moving freely with what we're doing."

"But if you just explain that, won't he understand?"

"Most likely, but it's not my choice, it's our god fathers. Even if he gives us the okay, then it's not up to me to tell him, it's Zavy's. I don't go meddling in other people's relationships."

Zavy was smoking a joint near the boulder like she always did. She knew she didn't have to hide from everyone anymore, but she felt comfortable here, since it's where she had always come for the past three years. She was scared, that much was for sure. She wished she knew where George was, the thought of getting one of his amazing hugs made her feel better, so actually getting one would work wonders. She finished her first joint and then lit up a cigarette. She inhaled deeply, letting the feeling wash over her, having the nicotine mix with the weed. She took a deep breath, and then felt better. She walked back towards the castle, noticing that students were walking about. Lessons were over for the day, so she walked to where she knew she would find him.

She walked down the corridors, looking for her boyfriend. She had an idea of where he might be, but at the same time, he could be somewhere completely unexpected. He had class with Fred, and those two were always cooking up new ideas. She turned the corner towards his last lesson and there he was. Suddenly, all the fear the gripped her heart took over once again. It was like the weed had done nothing to help soothe her. He smiled when he saw her, but only briefly. He looked worried. Once she saw that, she broke down and ran to him, clinging to him. She did her best to keep her tears at bay, but knew that they were going to fall.

George had just gotten out of his last lesson with Fred. His first thought as always was Zavy, where she might be at this time. He knew he would see her sometime later, but she was always somewhere in his mind. He was excited to be started apparation lessons soon, so that he could surprise her the way that she always did to him. His only disadvantage was that he couldn't do it in the school, but she was in for it all summer. He smiled at himself, knowing that Fred would be more than happy to assist. He looked over and speak of the devil. He smiled at her, but then noticed there was something wrong. There was a look in her eye, she was scared, something had happened. Her eyes, they were that usually held that pink colour for him had a film of grey over it. She ran towards him unexpectedly.

She was shaking as she clung to him. George wrapped an arm around her, his other hand on her head, holding her close. He looked over at Fred, who had the same look of surprise that he did. The three of them stood like that for the next little while, students mildly wondering what was going on as they passed by. George could feel his robes start to dampen, and that was his confirmation that she was crying. The twins had known Zavy for quite a while, and only once had George ever seen her like this before. This was all new to Fred, who was remembering that Zavy was also a girl. George tried to look back into her eyes, but she would not be moved.

"Love, what happened?" he asked her, trying to get some reaction out of her. She continued to sob, as if she hadn't heard him. He tried again to look at her, but she held on tighter. He had never seen her like this, so vulnerable and scared. It made him worry more, and wonder what happened, "Zavy please, you have to tell me what's wrong," he spoke softly in her ear.

"How many people are around us?" she whispered, barely audible. He looked at Fred and then the surrounding area. The corridor seemed to be vacated, which made him question how long they had been standing there.

"No love, it's just me, you and Fred."

"Tell Fred to grab hold."

George nodded at Fred. His brother put a hand on her shoulder, preparing himself. In an instant, they were in their dorm, in the middle of the room. Her shaking had stopped somewhat, and George's robes were soaked where she had buried her head. Fred looked on with concerned eyes, while she let go of George and latched onto Fred. He held her, only not as tenderly as George, but in the way that a friend would comfort another friend, or a brother would comfort a sister. Zavy was pretty much family, even if her and his brother didn't last, and he was not going to let anything happen to her. He also knew that it was the same with her.

George changed out of his school robes and into dry clothes. He sat on his bed and held his arms out, letting Fred know that he was ready to take her again. He walked her to his brother, and she sat down. She had stopped crying for the most part, but her eyes were downcast. She was breathing, trying to calm herself down. George rubbed her back while Fred continued to look on.

"I'm sorry," she started, her voice low, "I just... heard something that greatly disturbs me, and I don't know how to handle it."

"There's nothing to be sorry about love. Just tell use what happened," said George in that soothing voice that seemed to make everything better.

"Harry had a dream that Voldemort was talking about me and my brother after he was planning something involved killing Harry. We figured out that Wormtail was around your family, the house while I was present, he knows everything, and is free to speak about our existence," she choked, getting herself upset again. She felt fresh tears stream down the old tracks, as she rested her head on George's shoulder. She held out her hand and Fred grabbed it. She apparated them out of there and to the spot where she usually smoked. She willed a cigarette into her hand and immediately began smoking it.

George's blood was boiling. This was a loose end that was never tied up, and it could be the downfall of his girlfriend. Fred was livid, but not to the extent of his brother. Wormtail being able to speak freely about Zavy and Brenden was bad. Hell, anyone being able to speak freely about the DelCotta twins was bad. They could lead the enemies to where they are, and then they could be killed. George did not fancy that at all. His jaw was set, his face determined. He stared his girlfriend in the eyes. She was scared, that much was obvious, but he wanted her to see.

"Listen Zavy. Neither me, nor Fred, nor anyone else will let anything happen to you. You're not alone and you don't have to face this alone. I'll be with you," he told her. She kissed him, the power of his words overwhelming her, the feelings behind them taking her over the edge. She was aware of Fred standing there, so she ended it short, smiling at him. He smiled back, happy to see that she was at least trying to feel better. He was hoping he'd never have to see a sight like that again.

After her smoke, the three of them walked back to the Gryffindor common room. They decided to stay in, knowing that Zavy was feeling out of sorts. She was also hoping to see her brother, since she had just left without saying a word. She used the pendant at her throat to find him. It didn't take long, he was with Luna and Alex. She told him the password to get into the commons and then waited for his arrival. She was feeling better, knowing that George would be with her, and Fred, who had scammed his way to being a brother. She was laying with her head in George's lap, while he stroked her hair. It didn't take long for Brenden to reach them.

"Feeling better now?" he inquired, taking a seat on the floor.

"Yeah a bit. It could be worse," she replied, not even bothering to look at him. She was too fixated on George. He was absently stroking her hair while looking into the fire and occasionally at her.

"So what did you call me here for then?"

"I was too lazy to go and find you, and we need to talk about the next two days."

"What about them?"

"Are you ready?" Zavy couldn't believe that she had said that. George looked down at her and Brenden stared. Zavy stared back at George, wondering why his head snapped at her just the same way that Brenden's did. She pondered why those words looked like they meant something to him just like they did to her and her brother.

"Been born ready sis."

"Do you know when we have to be up?"

"Early."

Zavy groaned, "How early?"

"5:30."

"Oooohhhh. I HATE waking up early."

"I know, it's going to be a really unpleasant ride for me."

"Ride?"

"Yeah, we're flying there."

"On a broom no doubt. Not like our god father can just turn himself into a falcon and have at 'er like we can."

"Indeed. Just make sure you're up in time. I wouldn't want you to miss out," he said to her before getting up to leave.

"Oi! Where are you headed then?" asked Fred, feeling like George wanted his time with Zavy.

"Get something to eat, or read a book, maybe even both."

Fred sighed, "My friend, you need some more adventure in your life."

Brenden grinned, "I'm a DelCotta, there's plenty of adventure in me," was his last statement before they walked away.

George sat with Zavy, still absently playing with her hair. He loved the feel of it, and how it seemed to have a mind of its own. It always had this amazing odour of coconuts or vanilla, sometimes both. The combination of smells made him light headed, but he liked it. He looked down at her, eyes pink like always, the grey cast gone. He was relieved to see that, she really gave him a scare earlier. He knew now with this information he had to really be careful. If Wormtail ran to a former Death Eater, she and her brother would be hunted. So long as there was a breath in his body, he would do whatever he could to make sure no harm came to her.

"You're sure you're alright love?" he asked again.

"I'm as okay as I could possibly be in a situation like this George," came her reply a few seconds later. She looked up at him. He bent down and kissed her.

"I love you Z... I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

"I love you George, but if it comes down to that, I hope that I can be strong enough to fight."

"You will love, you will. And I'll be right here if you need me. I know you'll be ready."

Again that word seeming to have much meaning to both of them. Zavy wondered if George had some of these dreams as well. She would have to pry into it after she got back from the mountains. She moved a strand of hair out of his gorgeous eyes, running her thumb over his nose and lips. She pulled him down to kiss her, and she nipped slightly at his bottom lip, hoping he would take the hint. He smiled down at her, before lifting her up and walking to his dorm. She laughed the whole way, not even bothering to point out she didn't need to be carried, just enjoying his antics. Godric she loved this man!

...

i would just like to let everyone know, thankyou for all your reviews and support, and for reading... i'd like to point out that tho it may seem that their relationship is moving fast, one must also keep in mind that i'm skipping months at a time, depending... tho, i hope you are all enjoying what i'm putting up hope to hear more feedback from you all, once again, thanks for the awesome reviews and thanks for reading! :)


	34. Chapter 34

The nights were cold, at least, the past two nights were. Brenden and Zavy had made camp in the woods, since they didn't want to be out in the open. They were half way to the giant village, and Zavy was exhausted from flying two days straight. Even falcons needed their rest, and she suddenly had much respect for the birds that migrated. They were good at building a fire at least, not wanting to become dependent solely on their talent to do things. She was more hoping to run the rest of the way, but she knew that flying would be better so that they could get a better view of where they would be going. She was kind of excited to see the civilization of the giants, but wasn't sure on how to find the one they were looking for. She had no doubts that they would, but the more she thought about it, the more freaked out she was. Excited, but freaked, those were her emotions. Her anxiety levels kept wanting to rise, but that was when she started to think about George. He seemed to be pretty upset that she would be gone for so long. She smiled at the thought of him.

"Do you really have to go Z?" he asked her.

"Not really, but I would like to. My god father is usually very busy in the summer, and I like to spend as much time with him as I can," she replied.

He looked slightly put out, but grinned at her anyway. He liked that she was so family oriented, and that she was going to live her life with and without him. Basically he liked her independence, something she took lots of pride in, being a girl and all.

"I'll miss you," he spoke softly. She looked over from her packing and smiled at him. She walked towards him. He put his hands on each of her thighs, staring up at her. He smirked, taking full advantage of her backside, and then used that leverage to pull her down. She fell on him as they laid down, and she was laughing thru the whole trip. She kissed him soundly smiling at his eye that were shining with love for her, a sight she loved the most.

"What makes you think I'll miss you?" she questioned in a whisper.

"How could you not? I'm witty, funny and extremely good looking. It's a crime against nature if you don't miss me. You wouldn't want to disturb nature now would you?"

She giggled and he pulled her down for another kiss. He put a hand to her cheek and kept it there, staring into her pink eyes. He was so used to seeing them that colour that another one would scare him. He moved the hair behind her ear, and put his other arm around her, keeping her close.

"You are so incredibly beautiful Zavy..." he trailed. Her eyes changed from pink to a deep purple. He was so amazing. She smiled, looking away shyly for a moment before looking back at him. She smiled at him, her eyes now changing to an orange-yellow, and then she kissed him hungrily. He could sense her inner feelings, and started to move with her. She was addicted to this, instigating and wanting it more than he did it seemed. She loved the feeling of him, and it was something she'd never give up in the world.

"Guys!" exclaimed Katie, who had just walked into the room to see that. Zavy got up blushing and resumed packing, while George continued to watch, grinning the whole time.

That was the night before she left. She loved that boy so much, leaving him made her feel slightly more vulnerable. She wished he was here, so that she could be warm, he was always so warm. But he wasn't and she was on her own. She could deal with it, she wasn't going to depend on George to do everything.

Since her and Brenden didn't have access to a wizard tent, they had to do it the old fashioned way. Not to mention it was hard to fly with all that gear, and fly fast. She actually enjoyed hunting, which scared her in some ways. Thinking about it in her human form made her sick, but when she was a wolf or an owl, there was a desire nearly as good as sleeping with George that awakened in her. At least they were getting what they needed done. She was sleepy now, so she fell asleep, cheating a bit to keep the fire going. Tomorrow they would probably arrive at the village, and then they had only four more days to get back to school. It was going to be a long day.

George was bored. His first day of apparation lessons and he aced it on the first try. He didn't even really see the point of going back for another, besides watching his friends fail. He thought it was particularly humourous that some people forgot their leg or arm. He sighed in his thoughts. He was bored without Zavy here, and she had only left this morning. School was almost over, but getting thru this week seemed harder than waiting for the end of the year. He hoped she was having fun in Paris, yet there was this nagging feeling that something was wrong. He ignored it however, and continued on with Fred and Lee, making products for their shop. Everything was nearly ready, they just needed more funding to help them get going.

On another note, the last task was coming, right before exams would start. He wasn't looking forward to those, but he was hoping to make good money for the last task. He was hoping Harry would win, since he knew that Cedric fancied Zavy. Anyone that fancied Zavy was a problem to George, but he knew that she was his. Yet again, his thoughts drifted back to her. They had been together for nearly six months. Some days it felt like forever, some days it felt like it was just yesterday.

"How about this one?" she asked George, holding up one of her hats. He noticed that she liked to wear them a lot, but usually the black one.

"Zavy, haven't we been thru this?" was his reply. She looked at him confused and he just smiled at her, "You look gorgeous in anything."

"Cheater," she said, sticking out her tongue and blushing. He continued to smile at her while she put on the hat she was just showing him. He stood behind her while she looked in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her, and then she snapped a picture.

He smiled at the memory. Photography, something she was interested in, but did on the side from her medical studies. She had gotten the camera for this past Christmas, and had been taking pictures since. He was excited to see them when they came out, but for now he would have to wait. Occupying his time was the hard part, there were so little things to do, yet at the same time, so many. He went looking for Fred, knowing that he could find a way to fill in the free time.

The morning came too soon for Zavy. It was chilly, seeing as they kept heading north. They were close to their destination. Brenden was making breakfast for them, which was just left over dinner. They ate in silence, since nothing really needed to be said. It seemed they hadn't spoken much since they started out on their adventure, which just made everything feel more intense to her. They packed up what they needed after eating and then nodded at each other. Zavy pictured the image of the a falcon, and then released her will to change form. She was a purple banded falcon, and her brother was blue.

They spiraled into the air, and continued on their journey. When she felt the draft try and bring her up, she locked her wings and soared. She loved to fly, it was such a free feeling, something that no one could take away from her. She wished she could share this amazing feeling with George, but she had yet to figure out a way to do so. They flew for hours, stopping only briefly to eat the random small animals they saw on their way. That was one of the problems with falcons, their eyes caught everything on the ground and it made for an easy distraction. She would be so happy to eat regular food again, rodents just weren't satisfying when she changed back to her human form.

-You see that Z?- her brother's voice sounded in her head, stopping her train of thought. She looked ahead and saw what he was talking about. Smoke was coming from the middle of the mountain.

-I assume that's where we have to go?- she replied.

-We'll have a look before we settle down-

She pushed herself faster, eager to get this over with and head back to school. She let the wind take her higher, trying to ignore the cold, snowy air. The wind blew them faster than anticipated, or maybe it just felt that way. As they approached the settlement, Zavy could see dots moving about. Those must be the giants, but she had to remind herself that she was thousands of feet in the air. They dropped closer to the ground, getting a better look. They looked like normal humans from their altitude, but Zavy knew they weren't called giants for nothing.

-Ready to descend?- Zavy asked, already starting to spiral down. Brenden followed suit, both of them landing just outside the settlement. They had to plan out how to find the giant they needed to talk to. A giant could kill them in an instant just by stepping on them, and they weren't even sure where to start looking for the one they needed. Brenden started to set up camp, though there wasn't much to burn, and Zavy wasn't sure she wanted to have them see the smoke from their fire. It was much colder, but she knew that it would be. They sat in silence, thinking about what to do. The only thing that she could think of was going in and asking questions, and she knew Brenden had no better ideas because he hadn't said anything.

Fred was bored. He was tired, but mostly bored. Devising items for their shop was hard without the proper funding, but that wasn't really what bothered him. If they got the money, they would need to find a place to set up shop. They would be looking when they got back home, making a trip to Diagon Alley, and seeing what was available. If only they had been able to penetrate the age limit for the Goblet of Fire, then they were sure to win the 1000 galleons, and that would cover everything perfectly. There was some way to do this, and he knew it, but HOW? He looked over at George, who was sleeping. He picked up one of the rubber balls and threw it at him. It missed, so he tried again. Finally, he pegged him so good he woke up screaming.

"Oi! What's all this about then?" George questioned, sitting up.

"Bored. Let's go have some fun mate," declared Fred.

"Had the strangest dream..."

"About Zavy?"

"Yeah. That her and Brenden were trying to put together a prophecy, and they were sent to see the giants."

"Well you can discuss it with her when she gets back tomorrow. Let's go for a pint, I'm sick of sitting here."

"I was doing fine until you woke me up!"

"Was it that important?"

"They were about to be attacked, at least, that's the feeling I was getting."

"Well you know that she's in Paris, far away from giants. Now let's GO!"

"Keep your knickers on, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."

Zavy and Brenden walked cautiously towards the village. Everything was enormous, and though they were expecting this, it still took them by surprise. She was hoping they could speak English, or understand them at least. So far they didn't see any giants, but they could feel them moving. Every step made Zavy feel like she was going to fall to the ground, but she used her power to keep her up. Finally, they came to a building that looked like it could belong to the elder. They walked in, not knowing if they could hear a knock from a human.

"Who dares walk into my home?" bellowed the giant that was sitting in a chair facing the door. The wind from his voice nearly made them fall to the ground. Zavy was frozen in fear. She grabbed her brothers arm, staring at the massive mass of the giant in front of her. He was old, that much was obvious, but he could still knock down trees with one great yell. She looked at Brenden, unable to find her voice and hoping he would answer before he really got upset.

"We are the relatives of Dumbledore, sent here on a mission. We wish to speak with Darr," Brenden shouted, hoping he could hear.

"Dumbledore?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"The name is familiar. What do you puny humans want with Darr?"

"We wish to speak with him about a mission that was given to us."

"What is this mission?"

"To put together the ancient prophecy. We believe it may be coming together."

"Who are you to know about the words of the seer?"

"We are the children of destiny."

The giant was silent, and Zavy seemed to forget about breathing. They waited, all the while wondering what was going thru this massive beast's mind. She could feel another one coming into the door way, and she turned around to face it. It was a giantess, and she did not look happy at all. Zavy pulled Brenden to look, seeing as she was having trouble finding her voice. He looked, but then turned his attention back to the elder. How in the hell could he be so calm? But that was when he noticed that he was shaking. He held his composure better, but he was probably slightly less scared than she was. The giantess walked to where the elder was, and sat down beside him. She was maybe slightly younger than he was, and Zavy assumed that she was his mate.

"I am Darr," he bellowed at them, "What is it you are looking for from me?"

"We were sent by the centaurs, we're looking for the original copy of the prophecy, so we can put it all together, and figure out what we need to do," Zavy answered, much to both of their surprise. That feeling came over her again, the one where her awareness seemed to be pushed aside and something else took over.

"We do not carry the original copy, nor any copy for that matter."

"But there are other copies out there?"

"Yes child. But they are all tampered with," replied the giantess.

"Where do we go to find it?"

"The werewolves were the last to see it. That is all we know," answered Darr.

"HUMAN FILTH! WHY HAVE YOU ALLOWED THEM TO ENTER OUR DOMAIN?" exclaimed an outside giant, bursting thru the door and nearly stepping on them. Zavy knew she should be afraid, she knew that something was wrong, but whatever awareness was inside her kept her calm.

"They are the children of destiny, we must help them," Darr told the other one in a calm voice.

"Elder, do you not understand that all humans are the reason for everything wrong with this world?"

"You know as well as I do Wrroth, the children of destiny will cleanse the world and make our lives better. We will be free!"

"The only way to truly be free is to exterminate all who oppose us!"

"These children pose no threat to us. Leave them be Wrroth."

"NEVER! I will kill them and then I will renounce your reign, you are too old anyway," he bellowed. He moved to attempt to squash them, but Brenden apparated them to the other side of the room. He growled, angry, and moving to try again.

"That is enough Wrroth!" exclaimed Zavy, though the voice did not belong to her. Brenden stared at his sister in horror as she started to grow in size. He backed up until he hit the wall, and not too long after she was just slightly smaller than the giant that faced her.

"Witch, your powers don't scare me!" and he charged at her. Zavy simply held up a hand and he was frozen in place.

"You dare interfere with the instruments of prophecy? I will not let you change this in any way! Begone!"

"I will do as I please pitiful human!"

"Then you leave me no choice," said Zavy sadly. She put him to sleep, and he fell, feeling like an earthquake to Brenden. She reached out her thought, and began something she had never tried before, replacing memories with false ones. As she did this, she reverted back to her human size.

"I apologize children. Last year Wrroth started acting strange, and then trying to lead the others astray."

"I can see why elder, someone has bewitched him. A dark wizard, no. Sorcerer," Brenden stared at her after she said that. Zavy looked at him as well.

-I'll tell you later- she told him mentally.

"As I was saying, the werewolves will be able to tell you more. I suggest you leave here, Wrroth was successful in converting some of our kind, I would hate to see harm come to both of you."

"We understand. Thank you for all your help," said Brenden, putting an arm around his sister and walking away. Once they got outside the door, they saw another giant heading towards them in rage. Brenden apparated them to camp just before he reached them. He walked a couple feet away, breathing deeply and trying to calm down. Zavy had a smoke, and it went by fast. She then lit a joint, passing it to her brother. He inhaled deeply, trading her the joint for a mickey of booze. They could hear the echoes of the thunderous roars of the giants. It made them jump, but they knew the giants wouldn't look for them here. Both of them were surprised when they saw their little owl flying towards them. She stopped, hovering above them until Zavy held her arm out. She dropped the letter in Brenden's hands and he tore it open, eager to see.

"It's from our god father, 'You two need to head back as fast as you can, I suggest you cheat a bit while you run,' signed your god father," Brenden read aloud. They didn't think twice about it. Their owl took off just as they apparated to their former camp. They both changed into wolves and darted out towards the school. They could run for days like this, so they would surely be back in no time. Zavy just hoped that everything was okay.

The third task had begun ages ago, and Zavy still wasn't back yet. George saw that Dumbledore was here, though he was a little late to arrive, so he wondered where she might have gone. He thought about going to look for her, but something told him he needed to stay put. He waited, and waited, and waited, and was getting sick of waiting. The four champions were supposed to go into this maze that Hagrid had been growing and tending to all year and find the Cup in the heart of it. Fleur had already sent up red sparks, but the boys were still in there somewhere. George of course was hoping for Harry, seeing as Cedric tried to make a move on his girl. Although it happened to be before they started dating, he was in love with her longer than that.

Zavy was running with her brother as fast as she could. She was tired, hungry and irritated, but both of them knew they had to continue on. Field mice weren't the greatest source of food when you've been running as much as they have, but it was better than nothing. They stopped to rest for a moment, hearing screams coming from above them. They looked and saw something they'd never expect. Harpies, and it looked like they were heading the exact direction that the twins would be going had they been flying. Zavy looked at her brother, and he knew. Someone had sent them towards there, knowing that they would be there. Someone was on to them.

George didn't feel right about something. He looked over at Fred, noticing that he had the same kind of look to him. _Where are you? _He knew she was on her way, but he didn't really understand why she needed to be here so badly. She could be tired from all the exciting things in Paris. But then he thought of his dreams. She would tell him if she was going somewhere else... wouldn't she? But if that dream was real and he heard right, no one was supposed to know of this prophecy or mission. He'd have to talk to her about it, if she got here. _Zavy..._

"Hey there stranger," he heard her whisper in his ear. He smiled turning to face her. She was there, looking very exhausted, but there. She must be very tired from her trip, he felt kind of stupid for thinking there was something wrong. He kissed her, smiling down at her while he cupped her face. She smiled back at him, but then he felt her go rigid. He stared at her, holding onto her shoulders he could feel her go limp. She was holding her head, face full of fear.

"Zavy, what's wrong?" he asked, getting Fred's attention.

"George look!" said Fred, pointing towards where Alexandra sat. George looked and noticed that Brenden was going having the exact same reaction. He shook Zavy, trying to get her to focus. Suddenly, the crowd started to go wild. George saw as Harry appeared with Cedric, only, he looked as if he was crying. Cedric looked pale and lifeless, was he dead? He felt Zavy cling to him.

"He's back, he's back," he could hear her chanting into his chest. He looked at Fred, who was staring at the scene in front of him. That seemed to be what everyone was fixated on, but George didn't care about them. He wanted to know what was wrong with his girlfriend, who she was talking about, though he had an idea, he hoped that it wasn't true.

"Love, look at me," he spoke softly. She didn't respond, so he pulled her back a bit and brought her face to look into her eyes. She was scared, tears threatening to fall, "What is it?"

"He's back George. Voldemort's back!" Harry, Brenden and Zavy said that last sentence at the same time, making it echo throughout the stands. George pulled her close, not knowing what else to do. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, the feeling of dread all day now gripping his heart. Voldemort has come back. Amos Diggory sat there beside his son, his cries of sorrow heard by all. Zavy looked down at the scene, wondering why Moody was taking Harry out of her god fathers sight. That was something completely off character, so she sent her thought out to probe his mind. Her suspicions were confirmed. That was not Alastor Moody, the man she once had in her home for dinner. She sent her thought out to Brenden, warning him, and then to her god father.

-Follow Harry, that Moody is a fake!- was all she had to say. Just those words set her god father off immediately, with McGonagall and Snape on his heels.

Cedric Diggory was dead, and Voldemort has risen back to power. The greatest fears had come true, and there was no telling what was going to happen from here on in.


	35. Chapter 35

George couldn't believe the last few days before school. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort, something that no one was expecting. Harry had one the cup, but he didn't care for the money, and had given it to himself and Fred. They would be ready by the end of summer to start their shop, if they found a vacant one. There was high hopes, and they were confident that everything would be ready. He smiled just imagining what everything would look like when they got it all settled out. He was currently trying and failing miserably to work on one of the puking pastels. He knew that if him and Fred perfected the items for the skiving snack boxes, they would be a big hit around the school. They had also gotten the idea to start making helpful items for the upcoming war. There was no doubt in his mind that history was going to repeat itself, but he was hoping the outcome would be different.

At first they didn't really believe much of what was going on. But then, not even a week after being home, Dumbledore showed up to his house with Zavy, Brenden and Sirius. The four of them talked with his parents for what seemed like hours. All the while George was wondering what was going on and why. They emerged, not saying anything, but Molly telling them to pack. They were then brought to "Head quarters" which was Sirius' mansion. They would be staying there for the duration of the summer, something that the twins were not looking forward to. George thought he would be spending the summer with Zavy, since she was there as well, but it turned out that she was busy keeping watch over Harry. He was a little put out that they had barely said two words to each other before she disappeared for days. He wanted to know what was going on and it seemed that all the adults and even his girlfriend was refusing to tell anyone anything. It seemed as though she was avoiding George, but seeing all the rubbish being printed about Harry told him otherwise.

Sometimes George felt selfish for the way he thought. He knew Zavy was better than that, but he couldn't help but feel hurt when she neglected to tell him things. Though it seemed that every time he started to really think deeply into it, she'd tell him everything and then he'd feel foolish. He didn't get a chance to ask her much after the night Cedric died because he spent most of it calming her down. He knew she was very worried, and had seen her drinking and smoking much more than she usually would. It started to become an everyday event and it was really starting to worry him. He didn't want to see her fall into that kind of world. Her brother wasn't really better off either. It seemed that he would par teake in his sisters activities, just not as frequently. George was trying to be patient, and wait until there was a good time to talk with Zavy. He did his best to try and be supportive, even though he had no idea how when he had no information.

The sun peaked it's way into the room he shared with Fred. George groaned, knowing that his mother would be up to wake him for breakfast soon. He figured he'd save her the trouble and get up on his own. He looked over and saw that Fred's bed was vacant. Briefly wondering why, he wandered down the stairs, careful to avoid the curtain that concealed Mistress Black. Her portrait was muffled, but still screaming about blood traitor this and muggle filth that. It was one of those voices that pierced your ears and echoed throughout the whole house. As he descended more stairs, he could hear a sweet familiar voice he so longed to hear over this past month. Hoping he wasn't hearing things, he burst thru the doors of the kitchen and looked for her, for Zavy. Up and down the table his eyes travelled until he saw that it was only Tonks, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Oh, had he neglected to mention that Dumbledore had put the old group together again, and even some new members? Funny, he thought he would've said something about it. Either way it wasn't Zavy, so he sighed before looking for Fred and taking the seat beside him, back towards the door.

Zavy was not having a very good summer. Since the day that Cedric died she barely had a wink of sleep, having nightmares about Voldemort coming to kill Harry and capture her, only for the sake of her powers. To make matters worse, she had to go visiting a pack of werewolves sometime in order to help her and her brother complete the task that their god father had set upon them a year ago. Right after she parted with George, who she missed terribly, she didn't even spend a night in her flat before her god father was there, ushering her and her brother to Grimauld Palace, the dwelling of Sirius Black. They stayed there for three or four days before they headed over the Weasley's to recruit them. Dumbledore made it perfectly clear that she wasn't to tell George anything until Harry would be arriving. Until then her and her brother were to keep watch over him. She didn't like the idea, but did as she was told.

So for nearly a month she barely slept or ate, taking the form of a snowy owl at night, and a black cat during the day. When she did get the chance to sleep, it was for barely any hours, since she had to fly as a falcon back and forth. She would apparate, but it wasn't easy apparating to a place under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Everything had to be hidden and she was getting sick of it. She was too tired to even be afraid anymore and all she wanted to do was be with George. It seemed that nothing would be better than a warm bed with is protective arms around her, a nice warm meal right before. She sighed as best as a falcon could on her journey back to the Head quarters.

There was a meeting tonight with the Order, so Harry should be fine without her or Brenden for a few hours. She felt bad for the lad, being completely cut off from everything. She watched him as he looked for a scrap of news from the other world, but her god father had made sure to distance himself and to make sure he didn't see the papers. They were really mean in the prosecution of Harry and her god father, and Zavy had to remember numerous times not to just go there and show Fudge exactly what she was made of. She arrived just as the sun was starting to coming up. She landed in the protection of the charm before changing herself back into her human self. She opened the door and walked straight into the kitchen, practically falling into a chair.

"Oh Zavy dear, are you okay?" asked Mrs. Weasley, placing some soup and a couple of sandwiches in front of her. Zavy nodded, wolfing down her food, only realizing how hungry she really was once she ate it, "Albus is this really necessary? Their just children!" Molly protested as she usually did.

"I'm sorry Molly, but it is easier for them to conceal themselves then it is for us," replied Dumbledore.

"What about any animagous?"

"Any of them that we know are registered, and Sirius is out of the question, he must remain in hiding."

"But look at them! They're exhausted, and I'm sick of seeing my son moping around the house. Give them a break, I beg of you Albus."

"The time is coming soon when Harry will be brought here, and then they can have all the rest they need, please be more patient Molly," Arthur tried to talk to his wife. She bit her lip but dropped the subject. The meeting was going to begin shortly, but an official Ministry owl entered thru the open window and dropped a letter in front of Dumbledore. He opened it, the room being silent as he did so. He rose from his seat slowly.

"There has been a problem. I must go, meeting adjourned until tonight. If I my presence is required, let me know, other than that, continue on without me. Moody, get together some Order members and proceed to Harry's. Gather him and his things and bring him back here. It is-"

"God father, it's not safe anymore! Harry and his cousin were attacked by dementors!" exclaimed Brenden, bursting thru the door. The room was filled with gasps, all heads turning to look between Dumbledore and Brenden.

"Albus?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.

"They are trying to expel Harry for using his patronus to fight them off. I must head off all of this at once. I fear the Ministry is taking things too far," and with that he left. The room was silent, and slowly, others left as well, leaving only the elder Weasley's, Sirius, Brenden and Zavy. Mrs. Weasley ushered the twins to bed, telling them not to leave until they've had a full rest. They obliged happily, making their way to the room they shared in the mansion.

Zavy didn't know how long she slept, but she knew she couldn't sleep anymore. The sun was shining and the room was filled with Brenden's light snores. She didn't dream, and for that she was thankful. She never knew it was possible to be so tired that you don't dream. She slowly got up, walking to the bathroom for her morning piss. Afterwards, she had a much needed hot bath. Soaking in the water, muscles relaxing she thought about George. He was only in the room right underneath him, and she would be happy to see him, knowing full well that she wasn't going to watch over Harry today. She stayed in the bath until she started to prune, and then got out, draining the tub. She figured that George would already be up, so it took some time to pick out some clothes. Brenden was still sleeping, but she couldn't blame him. He had taken many more hours than she, knowing, or rather, sensing when she was going to collapse. She walked to the window and opened it, having a cigarette after putting her clothes on. She smoked a joint as well, starting to relax herself. Sirius had told her it was alright to smoke, so long as she kept it to herself. After glancing once more at her brother, she nodded to herself and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Although she ate earlier, it still felt like she was hungry, and could smell the food coming from Mrs. Weasley's cooking.

She opened the doors slowly, seeing that familiar red hair off to her right a bit. She observed the back of his head, ignoring everyone else, who hadn't bothered to note her presence either. His shoulders were slumped as he held his head in his hands. She could sense his feelings of sadness, feeling guilty knowing that she was the cause of it. She smiled sadly, but then grinned as she walked up behind him and gently places each of her hands over his eyes to cover them.

"Guess who?" she whispered softly into his ear. He put his hands over top of hers, and she could feel him smile.

"Zavy?" he questioned, keeping his voice low.

"Wrong, its the boogeyman!" Zavy declared, laughing as she moved to kiss his cheek. George would have none of that, he stood, wrapping his arms around her for a full hug and spinning her, just for the hell of it. She yelped at bit at being lifted off the air, but she was giggling the whole time. He put her down and kissed her, the kind of kiss that two lovers share when they had been away from one another.

"I missed you," he told her, kissing her forehead and looking at her face, the one he'd been missing for nearly a month. She looked exhausted, eyes red and puffy, dark circles almost taking over completely under her eyes. She felt lighter and thinner to him, but she was still beautiful. He was terribly worried about her, and seeing the condition she was in only made him worry more.

"Believe me babe, if I could have been around more I would. But I've got some good news, Harry's coming here tonight, so I won't have to go out to watch him anymore," she told him, smiling as best as she could to show him she was okay.

"That's good news love, I just hope you don't have to leave again, it's too dangerous for you."

"George Weasley, are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" she challenged.

"Of course not. I just know that your powers don't remain strong when your exhausted like you are. I've been cooped up here, so it'd be hard for me to protect you if you're not around," he told her in a serious but soft voice. Her heart melted towards him. She smiled, tearing slightly and kissed him.

"If you two are quite finished, I believe it's time to sit down and have some lunch," interrupted Mrs. Weasley sternly, but you could see the smile in her eyes at the two of them. George and Zavy detached and sat down beside each other, holding hands underneath the table.

Brenden was the last to join them, sitting down across from his sister. George noted that he looked just as bad as she did, and felt sorry for the two of them. He wanted answers, but knew that badgering either of them now would just be insensitive. Instead, George planned on taking his girlfriend and keeping her in bed all day, and he'd make damn well sure not a soul would disturb them. Once everyone had eaten, Mrs. Weasley informed them all that Harry would be coming to stay here as of tonight. She didn't know when, as none of them did, but Hermione, Ron and Ginny looked relieved.

After, George took Zavy by the arm and led her up the stairs. He smiled mischievously at her, opening the door to her room and then warding it so that no one could get in or hear anything. He picked her up and laid her gently on the bed, marvelling at her beauty the whole time. She smiled at him, raising her hands towards him.

"Come to me sir," she commanded playfully. He was happy to obey, jumping on the bed making her squeal. He hovered over her and she pulled him down, kissing him. He took her in his arms and laid down beside him. She used her talent to open the window and had a smoke, craving the nicotine to run thru her system. George didn't say a word, but she knew he didn't like that she was smoking. She felt bad, seeing the sadness in his eyes as she slowly destroyed herself with alcohol and weed. She tried not to do it so much around him, just so she didn't have to see the sadness. She loved him so much, when she was done her smoke, she buried her face into his chest. He held her tight, missing the feeling of her closeness. He loved holding her, and she loved to be held, so it just worked out nicely this way. It wasn't long before she fell asleep again, all the while George watching over her and dozing himself.

Zavy was walking thru the woods. She didn't know why she was walking by herself at night, but she could smell blood in the air. She looked down and saw that she was covered in it, but it wasn't hers, it belonged to someone else. She heard voices in the distance and started running in the opposite direction. She was desperately searching for her brother, or god father, or George. She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks as she continued to run, though she felt like passing out. She tried to bring herself to change form, but she was completely drained, she didn't even have enough life energy to sustain herself much longer. She ran as fast as she could, the voices getting closer. She saw the shadows of the Death Eaters flow past her, and the she saw him. The man after her very being was standing in front of her, this time, George in his grasp. He was pale and very weak from what Zavy could see.

"Surrender Zahava," he told her in his dark voice. She was frozen in fear, unable to even find her voice. She stared at George, trying to get her brain to work, to figure out how to get him out of harms way. She was drawing a blank, finding it impossible to even summon a hint of her talent. She was helpless, utterly helpless. "Avada Kadavra!" bellowed the Dark Lord. Zavy watched as George fell lifeless to the ground. Tears poured down harder as she reached out a hand screaming his name.

George was brought out of his doze when he had to use the bathroom. He untangled himself from Zavy and proceeded to do just that. When he came back she was still sleeping soundly. He laid down, grabbing her again before kissing her forehead and settling down, waiting for sleep to claim him. He was nearly there, but then she started thrashing about. He propped himself up on one elbow and saw that her face was in distress. She broke into a cold sweat, and that's when George started to shake her awake. It seemed she wouldn't wake, but she reached out her arm, rising up quickly.

"GEORGE!" she screamed, starting to hyperventilate. He put his arms around her slowly, trying to calm her down. It seems the nightmare's have stopped or been happening less frequently at all. They were still as vivid as the first night, and it made him feel inadequate.

"It's okay love, I'm right here, I'm fine, see?" he told her in his soothing voice. She clung to him, crying and kissing him, just to make sure that this was all real.

"I'm sorry, I hate to burden you will all of this," she whispered into his neck.

"It's not a problem, I know you're scared and believe me, we all are. I'll do anything I can to make you feel better Zavy, I mean it."

"Thank you," she said before letting him go and translocating her liquor in her hand. She took a long drink and offered George some. He declined politely, as he knew she was going to have a spliff and a fag right after. It was her usual routine when she'd wake up, screaming a different name every time. This was the first time she had ever dreamed of him, and he already knew that it wasn't good at all. The only thing he could do for her was get some dreamless sleeping potions.

"George?"

"Yes love?"

"There's something I need to tell you. Something I've neglected to tell you, but not because I don't want to, but because I was told not to tell anyone. I say bollocks to that though, and I feel you deserve to know."

George's stomach dropped. He wasn't sure what to expect, because he was hurt that she was keeping things from him, he knew that it was out of her control, "Go on love. I understand your position, I won't be mad at you."

"Oh I was so worried about that," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. She gazed into his eyes, that held curiousity and hurt, as well as love for her. She took a deep breath and then began, "Brenden and I are children of destiny. We have to complete a series of tasks before a certain time. During this past year, we've gone to see mer-people, centaurs and giants. We did not go to Paris, we were travelling instead to the mountains to converse with the giants and figure out our next clue. Were trying to piece together the prophecy, one that a great seer predicted. I have a feeling we'll be led to the seers sometime soon, but the giants told us to go talk to the werewolves."

George took in everything she said. It made sense, and it didn't feel like she was doing the wrong thing by telling him, but he knew her reason for secrecy. If she had told him she was going to see giants he probably would've overreacted and left, whether he like it or not, "I had a dream that you were about to get attacked by giants. I meant to ask you about all of this, but I know your having a hard time."

"It is George, it really is. The nightmares don't seem to get any better. But I need you to understand, what my brother and I are trying to do is very important for the future battle. It's going to happen, there's no avoiding it. If I have to go, I need you to let me go, no matter what the cost," she told him gravely, never leaving his gaze.

He smiled sadly at her. This was a big thing she was asking, "And if I don't?" he questioned, knowing the answer but needing to hear it anyway. He saw as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Then we can't be together, as much as it would kill me to not have you, I need to be able to move freely."

"And are my feelings not important at all?" he choked on his words.

"They mean the world to me George, but my conscious wouldn't let me live sacrificing the world, my family just to keep you from worrying. It would be selfish of me not to commit to my duties. Everyone has sacrificed so much just to keep me and my brother alive and safe, I can't let it all go in vain. I need to do this George, with or without you," her heart was breaking, she was hoping it wouldn't come to this.

"Even if we weren't together I'd worry about you. I love you Zavy, I love you so much you can't even begin to understand. I'm probably not going to like you leaving to dangerous places, but I'll accept it, because I'd rather know what your up to than not. Please be careful in everything you need to, especially when you have to go find the werewolves."

She smiled and hugged him tightly. She felt his arms come around her protectively, "I love you George. Thank you for understanding, I've wanted to tell you for ages about this, but I couldn't."

"Everything is fine love. Don't over do it either, your beautiful as always, but its obvious that you've been pushing yourself too far. I highly agree with me mum, you need to rest for a week straight."

"As long as your here, I'll do it."

He let out a little laugh, "You know me mum wouldn't let us sleep together, we'll have to sneak around."

"Sounds terribly fun," her eyes turned that playful orange.

"Not as fun as me ravishing you in a few moments?"

"I beg your pardon?" but she knew right when he dived at her neck, tickling her while trying to tease her. She giggled in an attempt to get away. They both knew she had the power to leave, but she didn't bother to think about using it and that made George feel good, knowing that she liked his actions. Godric he loved this girl!

...

feedback? am i going in a good direction? how are you liking this? thank you for any and all that have taken the time to read my story and review :)


	36. Chapter 36

Define summer holidays. A time away from school to have fun and not worry about anything until near the end of August. Well, it seemed that was not going to happen whatsoever this holiday, and for that Zavy was extremely bummed out. She wished that life got easier as you got older, but it just seemed to be filled with more and more complications. The past month was just so terrible, she wished she could go back to being a child, when her parents were still alive. She seemed happier there, the happiest she's probably ever been before George barged his way into her life.

So here she sat in her 17th birthday. She was by herself, wondering if anyone paid attention to the dates anymore. She knew after everything happening it was selfish of her to feel upset that no one, not even her own brother had wished her a happy birthday, but there was just somethings one couldn't let go. She sighed, taking a drag of her smoke. It was nearly midnight, and her day of birth would be over. She was slightly depressed that her own boyfriend hadn't tried to talk to her, and that seemed to hurt more than her brother. Again, she had to keep in mind that with all the shit going on they probably over looked it. She took another drag of her smoke before tossing it out the window. She took a long drink from her flask before sighing once more.

She hadn't really moved from that spot, other than to pee. She willed her food when she was hungry, which was maybe once that whole day. She drank for most of it, smoking weed and just staring out the window as it rained. Since it was night time, the lightning designs were easier to see, so that was her mild entertainment. She felt like she had drank all day, and it was most likely true, but she didn't feel drunk at all, mostly stoned. She couldn't believe that summer was half over, it finally was feeling like it had started. Even with this being the worst birthday of her life, this was the first day she actually felt normal again.

She sighed, thinking about the past. What her, Brenden and their parents would do on such a stormy day. It made her miss the muggle world, television and movies. When she was younger, she'd always dream of making a movie, one that everyone would enjoy, and then have all the money in the world to make other people's lives happier. It seemed like something that was never going to happen now, and that contributed to her sadness. The death of her parents followed by the discovery of her powers changed her whole world, nothing seemed real like it used to as a child. If only she could get those days back.

"Happy birthday love," she heard a familiar and soothing voice whisper in her ear. She smiled, her thoughts going back to George. He seemed to always be on her mind, but she wasn't sure what she wanted today. She felt like she wanted to be alone, yet at the same time, she wished that he at least remembered. She felt heat on he,r ear, and she smiled at the familiar feeling, before taking another long drink from her flask and lighting another smoke. Arms wrapped around her and thats when she looked, seeing none other than her boyfriend beside her. She laughed out loud, maybe she was more fucked up than originally thought, "Those wards of yours are pretty tough, it took us all day to break thru them. In the end, your brother had to do it. Said that you had one lock in a completely different time mingled in with the lock already there. I still don't understand how you can do that."

"George! You're really here!" she exclaimed, tossing her smoke and snuggling up to him.

"Of course I'm here, did you really think that I would forget your birthday?"

She looked away, "Well..."

"Maybe if you didn't lock everyone out it would've been easier for me to see you, and much earlier. Have you even eaten anything today?"

"Yeah, I cooked something up some time ago."

"Good, then you'll have room for cake."

"Cake?" she inquired as he let her go and turned his back to her. She stared at his back confused, but her turned back with a small cake in his hands. It was vanilla with chocolate ice cream, bearing "Happy Birthday Love" on top of it. "George..."

"Like it? Baked it meself."

"George Weasley, I had no idea you could cook."

"Well you never bothered to ask now did you?"

"Thanks. I really appreciate this."

"Anything for you love. Why did you lock yourself away?"

"I don't know. I guess when my brother woke up and didn't say anything to me, I figured no one else would."

"Nonsense, I've been waiting for you to come downstairs all day, we all have. I decided around dinner time that if you weren't coming down, then I was coming up to you. It was that lock I couldn't get by. Brenden was having trouble with it, he finally got it not too long ago. How did you do that anyway?"

"Do what?"

"Place apart of the lock in a different time."

"I'm honestly not even sure, I've just always been able to do it. I must have gone deep into my thoughts, otherwise I would've noticed it had disappeared and you were in the room."

"You looked like you were deep in thought. Care to share?"

She sighed, looking back out the window. She set the cake down on her night stand and lit another smoke after taking another drink. "It's just everything that's been going on lately. I don't really know what to think, and this was the first day I've actually felt like myself in so long. It seems that I have not had any time for myself and I didn't think anyone remembered with Harry's hearing and the Death Eaters and all those blasted disappearances. I guess most of it really hurt when my brother didn't even say anything to me this morning. Every year he always used to burst into my room happy to celebrate another year with me and this year it didn't happen. Just further proof that everything is changing, becoming more intense. Mostly I've been thinking about the past, wishing things could be easier like they used to be," she took the final drag of her smoke and threw it out the window. After taking another drink she let George pull her towards him. They sat there like that for a time, not really knowing or caring how long, before he turned her, and kissed her.

"I haven't even given you your present yet," he spoke in that low voice of his that she just couldn't resist.

"Just being here is enough for me," she told him sincerely.

"Shh, close your eyes," he said, running his two fingers over her eyelids. He then pulled out a ring box. He opened it, holding it in front of her and then smiled, "You can open them now."

"George..." there in front of her was a ring. It wasn't too fancy, nor was it huge, just a simple silver ring with small emeralds in them. He grabbed it and put it on her finger, a perfect fit.

"It's not exactly an engagement ring, because I know its early and I know now isn't the time to think about marriage, but, I know Zavy, that I want to spend my life with you and no one else. I want to be that person you turn to when you need them, I want to protect you to the best of my ability, I just want you, completely."

She had no words, she just stared at the ring on her finger. It held so much meaning and yet, she had nothing for him. She felt stupid after being in her room all day, selfish even. How could she think that he forgot? What an idiot, "I love you," she finally breathed, before kissing him so fiercely he was taken off guard.

He kissed her with just as much passion, loving the feeling of her. He pulled her close, so that she was laying down on top of him. Three years he had known this girl, and he had loved her since day one, since he saw her on the train. Though they had only been together for eight months, it felt like a lifetime, one that he wished would never end. Twice before when they made love had he seen fire erupt around them. This time the colours changed, just like her eyes when she felt different things. The flames were mostly pink, but they turned to normal colour and then to blues, greens, reds and purples. They stayed even after she had cried his name, collapsing on top of him while he finished. They started to simmer and disappear as she drifted off to sleep, George feeling like it was the most intense of all they're nights together. He kissed her forehead before letting sleep claim him, his lover securely in his arms.

_She runs, to where she does not know. There is mist everywhere, and but one light in the distance. She starts towards it, going as fast as her legs will take her. She does not know what to expect, but she continues on her journey. As she approaches, she starts to see loved ones. It starts with distant friends, then closer ones, and finally, family, along with her lover. She stops when she sees the people she misses the most._

_"Mum? Dad?" she asks, completely surprised at their appearance._

_"Zahava, my daughter, how I miss you."_

_"I miss you too mum, I wish you didn't have to leave me," tears form in her eyes after these words. She hugs them both._

_"Mum? Dad?" her brother appears._

_"Brenden, my son."_

_"Dad, I've been doing my best to keep Zavy and me alive."_

_"I know son, I'm very proud, of both of you."_

_The family of four hugged each other, not being able to in the last decade. They sat there for as long as they could, never knowing when an opportunity like this would happen again._

_"We have come with a message."_

_"The two of you cannot go to the werewolves, for the evil one will be there."_

_"If you go, you will surely die."_

_"So what can we do? We need to find the original copy of the prophecy."_

_"Go directly to the seers."_

_"The seers?"_

_"Yes. You'll be happy to know that they're back home, in Canada."_

_"Why would they be there?"_

_"It's the seer that made the prediction that resides there, that's the one you have to see. Her name is Lucinda. She has the copy that you are looking for."_

_"Wouldn't it be dangerous to go back there now?"_

_"Yes darling. You will know the time when it comes.""_

_"Mum?"_

_"Yes Zahava?"_

_"Do you really have to go?"_

_She looks sadly at her child, a tear starting to form and nods. _

_"Never forget that we both love you."_

_"And are very proud to be your parents, we're sorry we had to leave at such a young age, or we'd be there to protect you like we should."_

_"The Weasley's will take care of you, just like you were their own."_

_"They're good people, and I'm happy that you could get along with George so well. We all saw it coming when the four of you would play together growing up."_

_"I love you mum... and dad," the children tell them, tears falling now that they're loved ones are starting to fade. _

_"We love you, be safe," are the last words before they disappear completely. She feels an arm come around her, and it's her lover, standing tall with his fire coloured hair. Her brother looks on as she burrows herself in her lovers arms. He puts a hand on his sister's shoulder, staring at the spot his parents just occupied. A simple tear fell._

George shot up from his bed. The sun was shining in his face, but the dream he just had was everything but normal. He looked over at Fred, who had the same expression on his face. He had the same dream, the one about Zavy and Brenden seeing their parents. He didn't understand why he was there to see it, why it was important that he, and Fred saw it.

"You had the dream right?" asked Fred, feeling the same things that George was feeling.

"Yeah, it was... strange..." answered George.

"I know. At least you know she's not going to see werewolves anytime soon."

"I suppose mate, but she'll be leaving to go back to Canada."

"Well, maybe you'll be able to go with her."

"Doubt it. From what she told me, I wasn't supposed to be involved with her task in the first place."

"And from what else you said, if fate didn't want you there, it probably wouldn't have showed you the dream."

"Then why were you there?"

"To convince you that you have to go? I'm not sure George, but something tells me that you need to be there."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," George sighed. He got up and into the shower, trying to rid the thoughts from his brain. He wanted to talk to Zavy about it, and decided he would when he saw her downstairs.

But that wasn't going to work. He saw Zavy and Brenden sitting by the fire, her head on his shoulder. It seemed that they were talking amongst themselves, completely oblivious to everyone else in the room as they stared at the fire. He realized in the moment how close the two of them were, that their twin bond was much different than his own with Fred. The DelCotta's only had each other, while him and Fred had the rest of their siblings and their parents, hell, even aunts and uncles. Zavy and Brenden's entire witch side of the family was completely gone, murdered and died of old age, and her father was an only child, parents dead after a few years of knowing them. They had no other family to rely on, just one another, and that must have made things tough. They definitely had the dream George had the night before, why else would they be acting like that? He decided he would wait to talk to her about it, if he even decided to at all, knowing the subject could be hard for her.

"I miss them so much," Zavy stated to her brother, as she stared at the fire. They had the same dream, which is probably why they spent time together that day. Food was brought to them, but they were mostly happy that others sensed they did not want to be bothered. Hell, they didn't even really want to be moved. That dream really thew them off, and they weren't sure what to think or feel at that present moment. All they knew is that they wanted to be around each other, and no one else. Zavy didn't even drink or smoke once, just woke up and moved into her brother's bed, knowing that he was awake.

"I miss them too Z. It was hard seeing them again."

"It was. First time in 10 years, it makes it even more real that they're gone."

"I wonder why they came to tell us?"

"Who cares Brenden, the important thing is, they wanted to see us so badly, and we got to. That's all I really wanted, hasn't the past been nagging at you lately?"

"Yeah. It has, but I'm just not sure why."

"Maybe this was why, because somehow we could sense they were coming, or they were sending us a sign or something. I'm not sure, all I know is that I feel a bit better, but not really. I wish they were still here, and that we could be a family again. Being around the Weasley's is nice, but its just not our family. I mean, don't get me wrong, I consider them family-"

"But it's just not the same as mum and dad. Or our life back in Canada, how everything just fit together so nicely. It incredibly similar, but not the same. There's still that distance because they're not our blood. Family, just not-"

"Blood. But we get to go back home soon, see-"

"Everything we left behind. The question before us is-"

"Will we return after this stupid war is over?"

Silence took over. They pondered the thoughts they just shared amongst them. The bond between them growing powerful after these heartfelt moments. Both of them missed the Great White North, but figured they would never return to their place of birth ever again. She saw George in her peripherals. He was staring at her, looking like he wanted to speak with her, but respectfully kept his distance. She sighed.

"I couldn't leave George. I love him so much Brenden," and then she looked at her ring, "I know he's the one I'm supposed to be with."

"But how do you know Z? I mean, I know how you feel now, it's the same way I felt about Alex, and yet, look at the two of us. We're speaking, but nothing is the same. I don't even feel the same way about her as I used to."

"I just know Brenden. When I'm with George, I get this incredible feeling that what we do together is right, and that everything is supposed to happen this way."

"I don't want to see you get hurt Z. You remember the day mum and dad left? I may have only been seven, but it seems like every time they left they told me to protect you. Every year passes and I think about those days, and how I can do that. Sometimes that's why I'm so hard on you, cause you constantly do things that can get you killed. Now that Voldemort is back, it'll be harder for me to really keep watch over you. At least I know George is good enough to look after you when I'm not around."

"You really don't need to worry as much as you do. I can take care of myself. I do need you around, it'd be weird if you weren't, but don't treat me like a child. I like being independent, and I like that I can push myself-"

"Even though you end up using life energy? Like at the Finals? You nearly died!"

"But I didn't! And I was more worried about getting the other three to safety than my own life at the time. I'd rather do what I can to save others, then I don't feel so terrible about the things that people do for us. They've sacrificed so much to keep us alive, I can't think of a way that I'd ever be able to repay them..."

"I know what you mean. I can't wait until all this shit is over and done with, I'm taking a long vacation."

"Don't forget, you're not allowed to leave without me."

"At least we don't have to go chasing werewolves."

"Yeah, I wasn't a fan of that."

"Zavy, do you remember when we were in Darr's house, and you said something about an enchantment by a sorcerer?"

She blinked. The memory came back to her instantly, but she wasn't quite herself at that present time, "Yeah, I do."

"Did you really mean sorcerer?"

"Yes. It was like a vision when I reached into Wrroth's mind, a warning even. There's something else out there, something powerful, maybe even more powerful than Voldemort himself. I can't really say much, I didn't see much before Wrroth's mind started to clear up, but I do know that it's out there, I felt the touch chill my bones and the fear rise. It seemed like a personal attempt against us, like it was trying to tell us we would be at war longer than we once thought. I'd say there is more to this prophecy than we or anyone besides Lucinda knows."

"Only time will tell. Come on, let's get to bed now," Brenden ended the conversation. He noticed that the house was dark and that most had gone to bed. Zavy nodded, picking herself up and dragging her feet up the stairs. She passed by George's room and stopped. Brenden stopped behind her, "Go on, you haven't seen him all day, and I'm sure you'll feel better about all of this after you see him," he nudged her.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Night bro," she said, before opening the door quietly and stepping in. She heard two sets of breathing, knowing that both twins were asleep. She didn't need to use her mind to find George, she just knew where he was, the feelings being different than the bed that Fred slept on. She stood over George, the moonlight shining on his features. He slept on his back, and arm behind his head and sheets barely covering his bare chest. Godric he was sexy. He looked so peaceful, she was afraid to disturb him, but she climbed into bed beside him anyway. He breathed in, bringing his arm around her and pulling her close. She sighed happily, resting her head on his shoulder. She moved to kiss his cheek after she was settled, bringing an arm across his chest.

"Zavy?" he mumbled, his voice full of sleep.

"Yes babe, it's me, surprise," she whispered back at him.

"I love you, I had the strangest dream last night."

"I love you George, now have a strange dream tonight, and tell me about it in the morning."

His head shot up, "Whoa, you really are here."

"Of course I am silly."

He smiled down at her, kissing her. She situated herself back in her comfortable position. George pulled her close, grabbing her hand and resting his head against the top of hers. They both fell asleep with smiles on their faces, not a care in the world. Zavy didn't care what Brenden said, she knew that this was the man she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. George knew that after meeting Zavy, there was no one else he wanted in this lifetime, or any other. This, was true love, the kind that seemed to only exist in story books, and it was going to last forever.


	37. Chapter 37

School, school, school. It all seemed so trivial, and a waste of time. Many students were hating on Harry because of all the things written in the Prophet about him and Dumbledore. They were smart not to mess with him while he was around his friends, particularly Zavy. Ever since what happened with Oliver Wood, there weren't many students willing to stand up to her, and for that she was thankful. She wasn't looking forward to this year, knowing what was out there and how the population really felt about it. There were those few believers, and the majority was against Harry and Dumbledore. She would not stand for it, in any way shape or form. And so, here she was, sitting at the Gryffindor table, listening to this stupid bitch talk about the ministry and how she was planning on interfering with their schooling. She noticed that Fred and George were particularly upset about her, but it seemed no one liked her.

Zavy leaned her head on George's shoulder, and he instinctively grabbed her hand. He was talking with Fred about business products, and a place to set up shop. She was sad she had to spend the summer away from home, she wanted to show it to George. She felt his thumb on the ring and she smiled. A thought occurred to her just then.

"There's a vacant shop under the flat I live in. If we cleaned it up, you could probably use it for your merchandise," she but into their conversation, knowing that they would like what she had to say.

"There is?" they both questioned.

"Yeah, I was told I'd find use for it, and I suppose with you two setting up shop, there is it."

"Zavy, will you marry me instead?" asked Fred, laughing. She smiled, George pulling her closer.

"Get your own brilliant woman, this ones mine," said George, kissing her. They walked back to the common room, Fred and George talking about what they would do first. Zavy reminded them that it needed cleaning, but they seemed too excited to even listen to her. She knew of their products, and how they were perfected, and she knew that they were raising money this year around the school to fund for the shop. She was going to support them, and maybe even help them if her mind would actually work. This year of school was not going to be a good one, and there seemed to be nothing she could do about such a thing. This was all besides the fact that soon she would be returning to her home, in Canada, to visit the seer that held the key to their future. It was going to happen sometime next year, she could feel it. If only there was a way to be rid of this aweful mess, and have everything go back to normal.

Stupid! Bollocks! She would be damned if she had to sit thru this all year! She refused to go at all after this. Umbridge was a terror, just making them read a book and write lines. They weren't learning anything, it was terrible. Not only that, she was evil. She twisted things around, making false accusations and trying to justify them. Zavy was seriously thinking about doing something about her, maybe turn her into a bug and crush her. She knew that she couldn't though, there was no way she could get away with it, and she didn't want to disappoint her god father. This bitch probably trapped him into hiring her, under Fudge's eye no less. There was no way in hell she was ever coming back to this class, not while this stupid bitch was teaching. She was thankful that it was over, but would have to see the bitch later, she got a detention for speaking her mind. That wasn't new in Zavy's world, but just the thought of this bitch infuriated her! She had lunch afterwards, going back to her commons. Just for fun, she levitated her book and notes from toad faces class and set them on fire. She was not going back, no matter what.

She sat in the Great Hall by herself. It seemed she was either really early, really late, or everyone had decided not to eat lunch that day. It didn't matter, they would be along soon she was sure. She felt like having soup, and poured herself a bowl, taking a drink from her flask. Yes, she was drinking in school. The Prophet was reporting disappearances, which was the only thing it was useful for now, seeing as Fudge didn't want to acknowledge the truth. What was next? He was going to blame this all on Sirius? She could definitely see it happening, he was stupid like that. She continued to read, hopefully finding something useful but she had no such luck. She turned her attention instead to the Quibbler, which wasn't much better, but she preferred mad over lies. She finished her soup and then grabbed a slice of cheesecake, feeling George take a seat beside her. She turned and smiled at him, knowing he was there right when he entered the Hall. He grabbed food while she turned back to her cheesecake. Godric she loved cheese, she would love to personally shake the hand of the brilliant person that decided to put it in a cake.

"Could you believe that lesson with Umbridge today?" asked Fred, who was sitting across from the two of them. Lee was beside him, shaking his head no. The three boys had class and then Zavy was separated from them, having class at a different time. In fact, she didn't have a single class with George, and that made her slightly disappointed. She had potions with Lee, but she wasn't as good of a partner as George was, still, her marks didn't falter in the slightest. She would be finishing her medical studies this year and then, who knows where she'd go. She still hadn't picked a profession yet, but she didn't feel the need to, not with everything going on.

"No. In fact, it was so unbelievable, the bitch decided to give me a detention," said Zavy, looking at the teachers table with pure hate. George chuckled, putting an arm around her.

"Don't worry love, we can come to your rescue," he said.

"Please do. I cannot stand her!"

"It'll be fun to try out some of the new products mate. They're already circulating the school," said Fred.

"Hermione's not going to like that. She is prefect remember? She'd enjoy taking points and giving you detention. I don't think I'd fancy that at all."

"She'll never know, and even if she does, she'd be a fool to try and catch us!"

"Yeah, she'd never see anything coming at her," said Lee.

"Now, now, you shouldn't pick on your brother's girlfriend," said Zavy, grinning at them. The boys laughed, and Zavy sighed.

"What is it Z?" asked George.

"Just dreading the rest of the day. I'll be happy when I'm done with my detention, and then I'm never going back to that class. So long as I pass the N.E.W.T, I'll be fine, and I can do that in my sleep."

"You're really just going to drop it?" asked Fred.

"No, I'm just not going to attend. I'll do the mid-term and the final, since she's just having us read a book. I can ready a book fine, and much better without her stupid pink room and annoying voice. Then again, I burnt the book just to prove a point to myself. I'll be fine though, so long as I don't have to see her. Godric I hate that bitch."

"I know what this is all about. You just don't like girls," teased Fred.

"What makes you say that?"

"When are you ever around girls? You rarely sleep in your dorm, you don't talk to Alex much, I never see you with Hermione or Ginny and none of your dorm mates either. Your always with your brother or the three of us. You clearly don't like girls missy."

Zavy narrowed her eyes at him. They flickered red, "And just who are you to tell me who I do and do not like?"

Fred was startled, "Calm down love, he was just making a joke," she heard George tell her. She shook her head, snapping out of it.

"I'm sorry, I've just had a class with the pink bitch, I'm still edgy," she apologized, "Besides, me being around boys says nothing about my sexuality, you're around them just as much as I am," she smiled brightly at him. Fred returned her smile.

"Good to see you've sharpened your teeth," he complimented her before finishing up his plate. The four of them walked away from the Hall and headed towards the commons. George walked with Zavy to her detention, just to spend a bit more time with her before she would be gone. He would be busy with Fred trying to get their products sold, testing it on the first years. It didn't take them long before they reached the office, Zavy sighing once more.

"Cheer up love, you think you'd be used to detention by now," said George, looking down into her pink eyes that had a yellow kind of colour swirling in them. She was thinking about something, or wasn't sure what exactly she was feeling.

"I'm starting to get bored of it," she replied. She was bored, that much was easy to tell. He smirked at her.

"I'm sure I can find a way to occupy your time," he said, coming to kiss her. He didn't stop there though, he teased her neck a little, just for good measure. She giggled, wishing she didn't have this stupid detention so that she could hold him to his words. He grinned looking at her, eyes now a playful orange. She brought her arms around him and pulled him in for another kiss. Nothing like a good snog before detention, that was for sure. She was just starting to get into it when she was forcefully separated from him. She was confused, and she saw that he was to.

"That's quite enough of that," she heard that most aggravating voice say. They turned and looked down at Umbridge, who had her wand pointed to where they once stood. Zavy glared at the woman, her eyes flashing red and turning a steely grey. The small woman just stared back with that stupid smile on her face, triumphant. She let out another small laughing type sound and then turned to George, "Mr. Weasley, isn't there somewhere you should be?" she asked in a form of dismissal.

"I, well, uh, that is, I..." George trailed, caught off guard, "I'll see you in the commons," he told Zavy. She smiled faintly at him as he turned his back sadly, giving a wave. She sighed, walking into the office, keeping her face a scowl. She was not happy that she was here, and it made matters worse that the bitch decided to interfere with her affairs with George. It wasn't any business of the stupid pink bitch if she snogged her boyfriend, and it certainly wasn't her right to break them apart. Anyone who got between her and George was a problem. Umbridge let the way into her office, and right after entering, Zavy wanted to puke. There were cats everywhere on the walls, and everything was pink. Godric she'd love to drop a bomb in this place. It was the ugliest thing she had ever seen, aside from the professor herself. Why did people like this deserve to live? How could people like this live. She dismissed the thought, sitting at the desk that was waiting for her.

"You'll be writing lines. Pick up the quill and begin. You won't need any ink," explained the toad. Zavy did as told, bitterly.

"What am I supposed to be writing?" she asked, making a random line to see how the quill worked. She felt a slight sting on her right hand.

"I must not tell lies."

"Well no, you shouldn't, but your going to be doing it consistently," said Zavy. Umridge turned and glared at the blond. Zavy smirked and then began her lines. She wrote one, and then it just disappeared. She looked at Umbridge, but her back was turned once again. Zavy wrote again and her right hand began to burn. She looked at it and gasped. There on the back of her right hand were the words she had written onto the parchment. She wrote another line, and the words showed up just like the first ones, right on top of the fresh cuts. That stupid conniving bitch. Her god father was going to hear about this, that was for sure. She wasn't even sure this was legal, but continued on anyway, until the bitch was satisfied.

Fred, George and Lee were circulating products all around the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was glaring at them, but stayed in her place, waiting for Harry to get back. She was trying to ignore them while she sat on the couch with Ron. The merchandise for their shop was coming along well, and they were planning on checking out the shop Zavy was talking about. This would also mean that he would finally get to see where she lived. He was actually quite excited about that. Her life seemed to revolve around secrets, and he was bashing thru them, one by one. The more she revealed the closer he felt to her, and that was important to him. He understood why she was such a mystery, and knew that until this upcoming war was over, she would remain one. There was no telling what she would tell him next, but he was happy she shared her mission with him, knowing how she felt about lies. He couldn't imagine what it was like to live constantly in shadow. His thoughts were interrupted by Zavy walking into the room. He smiled at her as she walked up to him. He hugged her, and she returned with one arm, keeping the right on in her pocket. It stung, and she had to get it bandaged, the blood not stopping. She was kind of dizzy, but she would be fine.

"How was it?" he asked, his voice low and his forehead pressed against hers.

"Annoying," she replied, "Would have been better if you two actually came to rescue me like you said you would," she teased, kissing him. He smiled and kissed her again.

"However can I make this up to you?"

She smirked, "I can think of one way," she whispered against his lips.

"Oi! We're working right now," said Lee.

"Yeah, you'll just have to wait Zavy," added Fred. Zavy stuck her tongue out at him and continued to kiss George. He wasn't showing any signs of denial, just stayed with her. They finally broke apart, him keeping an arm around her. They watched as the first years succumb to the effects of the Weasley products, laughing at the poor children. They were popular, and she was sure they would be bought quickly. It was a nice distraction from the stinging of her right hand. She looked at her sweater and saw that it had bled thru the bandage and her pocket. Shit, she didn't want this public, she wanted to hide it for as long as possible, and any of her healing spells weren't working, she had to make a potion for it. Judging by the wound, it would take a difficult potion to get it to heal, and even then she'd probably be left with a scar that wouldn't disappear for years to come.

"What the bloody hell..." said George. Zavy widened her eyes. There was blood on his shirt, it had smeared from her sweater.

"It's blood mate," said Fred. She stared at the stain, hoping this would pass over. He looked over at Zavy. Why did she look scared and worried? Her hand, her right hand, in her pocket. He saw there was stained blood there as well. It was coming from her. She was bleeding. He held his hand out to her.

"Let me see," he said in a stern voice. She hesitated, not wanting to show him, "Zavy," he wasn't going to let her hide this from him. This was pain inflicted upon her, and she wasn't going to just shrug it off as if it was nothing. She sighed, looking down and pulling out her hand. It was bandaged and bloody.

"We'd best not do this here," said Fred. George nodded and the four of them went up to the dorms. Zavy shoved her hand in her pocket, following them and stood at the door once it was closed. Fred and Lee sat at their beds, curious, but not quite getting involved. Her eyes were downcast, hand still in the safety of her sweater. George walked up to her, staring down at her. He grabbed her arm gently and walked her to his bed. From there, he pulled out her arm and began to take the bandages off. He wiped the blood away and saw the source of the mess. "I must not tell lies" was engraved into her skin, and it was still bleeding. The cuts were deep, and he was surprised that she was even still standing. He looked at her, but her eyes were still downcast.

"Umbridge did this?" he questioned. She nodded weakly, feeling guilty for hiding it from him. Fred and Lee walked over to see the damage. George was angry, she was going to get away with this, "You have to tell Dumbledore," he said to her.

"I will, just not tonight, I want it to stop bleeding," she replied faintly.

"I'll go with you."

"We'll have to get revenge for this," said Fred, grinning at Lee and his brother. Lee nodded in agreement while George continued to stare at Zavy. His fingers ran gently across her wound, blood getting all over his hands. He led her to the bathroom and turned on the tap to the sink. He cleaned her hand, doing his best not to hurt her. He then bandaged it, though not nearly as good as she had it. The blood wasn't as thick anymore, so it would stop soon. He washed his hands of the remaining blood and then turned to look at her again. She was looking at her newly bandaged hand, fingers running across where the wound was. He took her hand once more, and led her back to his bed. Fred and Lee had vacated, which meant that they were alone. He kissed her forehead, and she looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were a dark brown, the pink barely visible. He pulled her into a hug.

"Come on love, let's go see Dumbledore," he spoke softly to her.

"Let me change my sweater," she told him. He nodded at her and then she left. He would meet her downstairs. She decided to have a smoke before she went there, and took another drink from her flask. She neglected to tell George that was why it bled so much and for so long. He didn't know that she was starting to drink during school, and in classes or anything like that, and she wasn't sure she wanted to tell him in the first place. He didn't seem to mind the weed smoking so much, it didn't affect her like the booze did. She smoked much more than she should have, which always left her with a vacant expression and red eyes. At first, she used the exhaustion excuse, but since she spent more nights with him than not, she began using spells to take the red eye away. She took another long drink and then brushed her teeth, to get rid of the smell. She put on half gloves, so she still had use of her fingers, but initially hid the bandage. She replaced her sweater with another one and then proceeded down the stairs where he was waiting. He grabbed her hand and led the way to her god father's office. Upon reaching it, they met Hermione there. She looked at them curiously as they approached.

"Y'alright?" said George.

"What are you doing here?" asked Zavy.

"Well, don't tell Harry but, Umbridge used a punishment that I'm convinced is against school rules," she explained.

"You mean you don't know?" teased George.

"Of course I know! But Harry refuses to discuss this with McGonagall or Dumbledore-"

"So you're going behind his back and doing it for him anyway?" Zavy finished for her.

"Yes."

"It's just as good, I don't even know the password to get up there."

"What?" they two turned to her.

"I thought you did know?" said George.

"I was hoping you two would know! I got all the way here and realized I didn't know it," said Hermione.

"I usually just apparate," said Zavy.

"We'll just have to do it that way then," said George. Zavy nodded and used her mind to see into her god father's office. He was sitting at his desk, no one else seemed to be present. She placed one of her hands on her George's shoulder, and the injured one on Hermione's. The glove covered the bandage, and the bleeding had hopefully stopped, she did have a few drinks not too long ago. She focused the three of them in front of the desk, and in an instant, they were there. Hermione was a little shaken up, but Zavy assumed that she had never apparated before. It was good preparation for next year, when she would learn.

"Ah, Miss. DelCotta, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. A trio I was not expecting to see. Please, sit," said Dumbledore. The girls sat while George just stood behind Zavy's seat. He put a hand on her shoulder, waiting for Hermione to discuss whatever it was that she needed, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Zavy and Hermione looked at each other. Zavy nodded at the girl and Hermione began to speak, "Professor, I have to talk to you about Professor Umbridge. It seems that she has been exercising illegal punishments in detention."

"Please explain."

"She makes us use a quill that cuts into our skin when we write on parchment," said Zavy, taking off her glove and showing him the bandage around it. Hermione was stunned, looking at her injured hand. There were small blood stains on it, indicating that it was indeed still bleeding. George narrowed his eyes, not understanding why it would start bleeding again. It must be one hell of a wound to bleed for so long. Zavy placed the half glove back on her hand, feeling her boyfriend's stare on it. Dumbledore looked sadly at her, but knew there was nothing he could do.

"I'm sorry, but her ties with the ministry makes this out of my hands. I'll speak with your Head of House, and see if we can't work something out," he replied. Hermione sighed, the three of them getting up to leave, "Miss DelCotta, please remain, I must have a word with you," Zavy nodded and sat back down while George and Hermione left. She looked at her god father, wondering what it was he had to say to her. She hadn't seen him much since Grimauld Palace, and felt slightly guilty that she hadn't bothered to come up and see him, or make an effort to talk to him, "So, how is Harry doing these days?"

That was an unexpected question, "He's okay? I noticed he's been particularly sour lately. You've been avoiding him?"

"You're good to notice that. Yes, I have. The scar on his forehead indicates the mark of Voldemort, and I suspect Harry is seeing his activity without even realizing it. My only concern is Voldemort knowing of this connection and using it to lure Harry or you out into the open."

She blinked, unable to comprehend this, "Isn't there anything you can do about it?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm distancing myself because of this. He's gaining strength with every passing minute, and I'm hoping that you two will be ready when the time comes. Make your brother aware of this, we'll need to discuss your trip to Canada soon," he said as a dismissal. She nodded at him, and then got up to leave. This was a lot to think about, and it made her feel that she was running out of time. She didn't see George at the bottom of the stairs, so she apparated instead in front of the portrait to get into the common room. She walked in, passed some of the night owl students and straight up to George's room. She opened the door quietly and tip-toed to George's bed. He was sleeping, lying on his right side. She smiled, he had a left a space for her. She crawled into bed and he pulled her close right away. He kissed her forehead and then the two of them fell asleep, all earlier problems forgotten.

...

sorry for the delay, finals are done, so maybe there'll be more to come :) thanks for reading and the reviews.


	38. Chapter 38

Decree this, and decree that. Boy, was her last year of school very aggravating. How in the hell was she supposed to have any fun and enjoy her time without this dumb bitch ruining everything? Professor Umbridge had gotten in a fight with McGonagall in the corridor, after Dumbledore had informed the witch about the punishment. In turn, Umbridge acted like a complete woman and twisted things around, Fudge granting her the power of Hogwarts High Inquisitor. This was not good, not at all. Now she could fire the staff members, and banish all that she felt was bad for the students. In other words, fun. She banned all Zonko products, all the Weasley products and just kept making up rules to fit her needs. Dumbledore was silent for all of this, it was ridiculous! Zavy, nor Brenden were too thrilled at how their god father was handling this, and he had started to avoid them as well. She wondered about it, feeling childish for getting upset, but for fuck sake, how could he let that stupid bitch take over the school like this? Fred and George weren't happy either.

Not a soul in the school was happy, aside from Filch, Malfoy and other Slytherin lackies. Something had to be done about this monstrosity running rampant in the school. Fred and George had something planned, but nothing that would really help. They wanted to put a swamp in the corridor, but Zavy didn't see how it would really help them at all, considering Umbridge can just interrogate anyone she wants. What they needed was someone willing to step up, take the chance and start teaching the students what they needed to learn. Voldemort was back, roaming the earth and killing people. There needed to be someone that was willing to take matters into their own hands. At this rate, she was getting fed up and ready to do it herself, especially after she was right about the Prophet blaming Sirius for all those disappearances. And just as she was getting ready to start rallying up the troops, was just when Hermione had come to her, telling her about a plan that her, Harry and Ron had cooked up.

It was quite simple. They would tell all the students about it. They were to gather at the Hog's Head in the wizarding village, Hogsmeade. From what Hermione said, Harry was going to start teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts himself. Zavy couldn't help but think about how perfect that was, considering he had the most experience defending himself from harm. The twins as well has Brenden had liked the idea, and couldn't wait to go the minute they heard of it. Umbridge could not know, or the punishments would be severe. It was actually quite exciting, and Zavy liked to be sneaky sometimes. She and Brenden knew that Harry couldn't really teach them anything, but it didn't stop them from knowing that they had to watch this experience.

So here she sat, beside George and her brother, waiting for all of the others to arrive. The Hog's Head was mostly vacant, and Zavy couldn't help but feel that the guy in the corner was watching them. There was no way to be absolutely sure, so instead she decided she would just keep an eye on him. There were lots of students showing up, and she couldn't help but wonder what they were there for. She noticed Alexandra, who she never really talked to any more, and Cho Chang, looking at Harry with hopeful eyes. She was obviously there to find out more information about Cedric, since she dated the boy before he died. Zavy sighed to herself. That was quite the night for her, and it wasn't even a year ago yet. It looked as if no one else was going to show up, so the Golden Trio waited until the room was more quiet. It was obvious they had no idea what they were doing, so they had no clue on how to begin such a discussion. Zavy smiled, knowing that one of them would think of something.

"Hi. So, you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts," began Hermione. Harry looked so displeased the whole time, while Ron just sat there.

"Why?" interrupted some annoying kid.

"Why? Cause You Know Who's back you git," said Ron, glaring at the boy.

"So he says."

"So Dumbledore says."

"So Dumbledore says because he says. My point is, where's the proof? How do we know that they're not just trying to scare us into getting something?"

"OI!" Zavy stood up in outrage.

"Zavy!" Brenden brought her back down. Zavy's eyes changed that steely grey as George grabbed her hand. Zavy could see Harry muttering to Hermione while she tried to calm herself down. Fuck that guy! He was as dumb as pretty much everyone else in this world that thrived on being in denial.

"Maybe if you tell us more about the night Diggory died..." the boy trailed. That was when Harry got upset.

"Look, I'm not here to talk about Cedric or any of that, so if that's why you're here, you can just leave now," said the boy who lived adamantly. Zavy was surprised. Most of the crowd looked upset, and were starting to leave.

"Is it true you can conjure a patronus charm?" asked Luna Lovegood. Everybody froze, turning to look at Harry and waiting for an answer.

"Yes. I've seen it," confirmed Hermione.

"Blimey Harry. I didn't know you could do that," said Dean Thomas.

"And he killed a basillisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office, last year," chimed in Neville. Zavy smiled.

"That's true," said Ginny.

"Third year, he fought off about a hundred dementors at once," said Ron proudly. Zavy shuddered at the word dementor. Was that ever an awful experience.

"Yes. And last year he really did fight off You Know Who in the flesh," said Hermione.

"Wait, it all sounds great when you say it like that. But the truth is, most of that was really just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time and I always had help," said Harry.

"He's just modest."

"No, Hermione. Facing this stuff in real life is nothing like school. At school if you make a mistake, you can easily just try again tomorrow, but... Out there, when you're a second away from being murdered, or when you're watching a friend die right before your eyes... You don't know what that's like..." Harry sat in his chair, the words chipping away at everyone's minds.

"You're right Harry, we don't," began Hermione, "That's why we need your help, or else we won't have a chance of beating... Voldemort..." Zavy would've whistled at how brave Hermione was if it wasn't for this grim silence. Silence that lasted way too long in her opinion.

"He's really back?" asked a Creevy bother. Harry nodded. Zavy sighed, not liking any of the recent knowledge she had. And so there it was though. Everyone had signed up by the end of the meeting. Fred and George went before Zavy and Brenden, who were last in line.

"Harry, you mind if we use different names? This IS a magical parchment, and well... you know..." asked Brenden. Harry nodded in understanding. Zavy saw as her brother put an alias down, _Joseph Hudgens._ She proceeded to do the same with her own, _Alexandra Reid._

So it was done, the gang was assembled for underground DADA lessons. Zavy walked with her brother, the twins, the Golden Trio, Ginny, Luna and Neville. She was quite, listening to the others make a plan for how these lessons were going to happen. The first problem, was finding a place to fit everyone with sufficient room, and things they could use to train the others. Zavy knew there was somewhere that could fit all of their requirements, but for some reason, she couldn't say it. Just another pick of destiny, telling her that she really was not needed here.

As she sat in the common room with the twins, she continued to ponder Harry's mission. He clearly had his own set of guidelines that he was unaware of, and Zavy was not to interfere. She felt like she had to watch him, to make sure that he stayed on task, even though she had no idea what his task was. But this one was hers, and she had a feeling she would be watching over him for the rest of his life. She had not discussed this feeling with Brenden, knowing that it would be useless. He seemed to be on the same path that she was, making them at a constant understanding.

There was also the matter of traveling back to Canada, to her home. They had already figured out that not only George, but Fred had to be present as well. They would not be able to visit the ruins of their home, enemies knowing that they would be there. A date still hadn't been decided, nor the discussion with the twins about what they'd need to do. Their presence was required, that was all that was known at this time, and it would be hard to explain, but Zavy was sure that this could all work out. It had to. She kissed George's cheek, and he instinctively grabbed her hand. She smiled, still in her thoughts, as she stared at their fingers linked together. How she wished that nothing would happen to either of them, that they would remain forever this way.

"...Zavy," she heard his soothing voice call to her. She smiled, snuggling closer to him. She felt his hand brush away her hair, ever so gently, "Zavy, wake up love," he spoke again.

"Mmm, but I'm so comfy, I don't want to get up yet," she told him in a dreamy voice.

He chuckled, kissing her forehead, "We have to love, there's a whole day just waiting for us. And I'd like to spend some time with you before I have to go."

"But can't spending time together count as me sleeping with you here?"

"I suppose it could, laying in bed all day does sound wonderful, especially with the most beautiful girl in the world."

She smiled, kissing his cheek, "It certainly does."

"But, I have a match today, and I want to get back at those Slytherin gits."

"That sounds good too."

"Doesn't it? So how about we get up now?"

"5 more minutes..."

He smiled, "Alright, but no more than that."

"Deal. I love you."

"I love you."

Quidditch match today, and was it going to be an epic one. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor yet again, and Zavy was excited to watch those assholes go down! They were the only ones in the school that actually _liked _Umbridge's back words and screwed up rules. But that could just be because they were the ones that were never punished by her. Doesn't surprise Zavy that they weren't into having fun like normal people. Oh, and how random was it that Umbridge made it so that all students forming groups must report to her before they could do it. She almost banned Quidditch, but maybe she was smart enough to know that was a dumb idea. Either way, Angelina was right on top of it, since she was the captain this year. It actually annoyed Zavy how much time she tried to take away from her, by constantly drilling George. But there was really nothing that could be done about that.

There was lots of tension lately, especially between Malfoy and the rest of the Gryffindors. Zavy had a bad feeling about this match, as she sat with her brother among the other Gryffindors. She didn't doubt that her house would win, more so the events to occur afterwards. Malfoy and some of his goons were on Umrbridge's personal enforcement squad, and had been trying quite hard to get into the Room of Requirement. How annoying they were. But there was only one way to get in there, and they seemed to stupid to figure it out. Unless they knew what to think about, they weren't getting in. But now was not the time to think about such things. Now was the time to watch them get creamed on the pitch.

As the match began, there was already people cheating like crazy. And not just the Slytherins, the Gryffindors as well. Zavy was particularly fed up with all this bullshit. This had to be the worst year she had ever attended at this school. And so, as the match came to a close, Zavy descended the stairs to where she would meet with George and Fred. But the twins were no where to be seen. In fact, everyone seemed to be heading to the middle of the pitch. Well that sure was weird. She decided to follow, having a feeling that it must be that important. Once she arrived, she saw Harry taking a swing at Malfoy. George got in on the action too, but Zavy got there just in time to hold Fred back. She wondered what had happened, but couldn't help but feel happy about Malfoy finally getting his ass kicked. She watched as the crowd was dispersed, and was sad that she didn't get to see Malfoy's face. She looked at George, going with Fred to wait for him at the commons.

"What happened?" she asked Fred as they walked back.

"Fucking git, insulted our mum. He's just lucky that I couldn't get to him. Why did you hold me back?" he asked in anger.

"It was the right thing to do..." she trailed, unable to offer him any other explanation.

"George was supposed to fight with Malfoy?"

Zavy nodded.

"Lucky git gets to do everything."

"I wouldn't call him lucky Fred. Umbridge will have her hand in this for sure. This is something she definitely will want to confront."

"That's true. We should probably prepare some treat for him when he comes back. You got anything left in your stash?"

"Stash?"

"Please Zavy, George and I can smell the booze on your breath all the time. We know you have a stash somewhere, and that your water bottle is full of something other than water."

She stopped, looking down guiltily, "So I guess it wasn't a real secret."

Fred put a hand on her shoulder, "We understand that your stressed Z. I just wish you could see how much it hurts him to watch you destroy yourself like this. He doesn't say anything, he wants you to feel better. But the binge you're going on won't help you. Your liver is starting to become trashed with all that you've been drinking. He's putting up with it, but you're hurting him."

The guilt building up at his every word made her want to run to him, to apologize for hurting him so much, "I'm sorry..."

Fred hugged her, "I understand Zavy. Just try to slow down, cope with your stress another way. We're all here for you."

She didn't know what to say. Yes, she had been drinking everyday, been doing it in class even. But she didn't think much about it. No matter how much she drank, she never felt anything besides numbness. It would even put her into a dreamless sleep, which she liked. The nightmare's never stopped unless she passed out. There wasn't a think she drank that didn't have at least a drop of alcohol in it. It was bad, but normally Brenden would make her come to her senses. He wasn't this time, he was standing idly by, watching with the others as she destroyed herself. But the stupid thing was, she couldn't stop. She knew she was doing it, and yet she wanted to feel something other than numb or fear. She knew that George was trying so hard to help her, being so good and patient, trying to make her happy. But she ignored it, it just wasn't enough. She was being so selfish. How could she?

"Let's get back now Z. Want to be there before your boyfriend gets there. Wouldn't want him to wonder where you've gotten off to would you?" Fred's voice cut into her thoughts.

"No. Sorry Fred, I just..."

"Enough. Just try, you don't even have to mention that we talked. I know he wouldn't want me to, but... I'm just worried about the both of you."

"It's okay. I'm sorry to make you worry."

"The conversation is over. Unless you want everyone to hear about it."

Zavy looked dramatically appalled, happy that she had such a good friend like Fred, "You wouldn't!"

"Yes madam, I would."

She smiled, "Let's go loser."

"Just a minute there," said a disturbingly annoying voice in front of them. Zavy and Fred looked in front of them to see one of those Slytherin gits standing in front of them.

"What do you want?" asked Zavy hatefully, her eyes flashing red at him.

"Umbridge wants this Weasel to. Let's go."

"Watch what you call me you prick," Fred growled at the boy. He looked over at Zavy, "Meet you back in the commons."

She nodded at him, watching them go. She made her way to the commons, knowing that there was nothing else she could do. Neither twin would be happy when they got back, and she didn't want to do anything to make it worse. She walked slowly, giving herself time to think before she would have to put all of her focus onto her boyfriend. She'd do anything for him, never wanting their love to die. If her bad habits were what was making him upset, then she would do all she could to be rid of them. Hopefully she could find a way to cope.

It was hours before the twins got back. Zavy had almost read through a whole book waiting for them. She was on the last chapter, and it was a huge book. She was hoping that the bitch professor had changed her torturing ways, but somehow she couldn't be so sure. It seemed that they had to devise a very interesting way of getting rid of her. The only way Zavy knew was to use some of her talent, but she knew that it was the wrong course of action. It was Harry's job to fix all the mayhem caused at the school. Well, all the mayhem that had nothing to do with herself, Fred or George. Speak of the devils.

"What happened?" Zavy asked, walking over to give George a hug. She noticed that he had a red mark on his cheek, no doubt from Malfoy.

"The fucking toad banned us from Quidditch!" yelled Fred, thumping down onto the couch.

"But you didn't do anything..?"

"She said that it would be best if the both of us were off the team, instead of me trying to switch places with him," George explained calmer. She looked into his eyes, he was depressed. No doubt he could smell the last of her booze on her breath. After today, she would try and do this no more.

"That's fucking stupid. She has to be stopped!"

"There's nothing we can do love. Nothing permanent anyway."

"It's just a sign George. I think the time is getting closer for us to leave," said Fred. Zavy remembered the conversation they had years ago about them leaving the school. She thought that since this was their last year, they would at least stay until they graduated. She supposed she was hoping for too much there. George could tell that she wasn't happy with the way this conversation was going. He knew that they were almost ready to start, but they hadn't even looked at the shop that resided under Zavy's flat. The plan was to wait until Christmas holidays to go and have a look.

"It is Fred. But we should try and get as much done here as we can. For now, I think it would be a better idea to work on our swamp. It'll be a tribute to old toad face," said George with a grin. Zavy was surprised to hear that. He would normally be very upset that his favourite sport was taken away from him. And yet, here he was, being rational about it all. She kissed him, wishing she had brushed her teeth. But he would see soon, oh yes he would. She was going to limit her smoking and not have a drink at all tomorrow. She wanted him to be proud of her, to stop hurting him. After this reaction, he deserved it. Godric she loved this boy!

...

a little short, i'm having a huge block, but i hope you guys like it.. thanks for the wonderful reviews! :)


	39. Chapter 39

Zavy stood with her brother along a back wall. Harry was teaching his first DADA lesson, and since there was nothing for to learn, she decided to observe and offer advice if needed. She was quite impressed though, they seemed to be doing the spells really well. It was interested to watch someone so inexperienced try and teach students who were ahead of him.

"How am I doing?" asked Harry, walking over to them while everyone was in pairs working on their own task.

"Good. Little shaky at first, but you're improving," said Brenden.

"Yeah. It only gets easier," added Zavy.

"I feel kind of bad. You two can't really learn anything from me," said Harry.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. We've been teaching ourselves for years anyway."

"Besides, if you could teach us, that would mean we're really far behind in our education," said Brenden.

"I guess. I just hope that this all works, helps people. We really need to keep up our defenses," said Harry.

"It'll be hard, but I'm sure you can manage it."

Zavy was impressed. The lessons had been going well, and they had been able to keep it a secret for quite a while. Newer members were showing up as well. Zavy could tell that Umbridge was getting upset. First she decided to submit students to questioning. Then, she decided that it was a good idea to have a brute squad. Fred and George were fast at work with that, leaving little treats for them out in the open. Only Filch was stupid enough to eat them, but was smart enough to learn the first time.

"Zahava DelCotta. Tell me, have you been participating in group activities against my rules?" asked Umbridge. Zavy thought it was weird that she decided to question her.

"No," she answered simply.

"Are you lying to me?"

"What reason do I have to lie?"

"To protect yourself. Or your friends."

"I don't have any friends."

"What about a certain young Weasley?"

"He's my boyfriend. That's much more than a friend. Stop being so ridiculous."

"Drink some more tea, dear."

"Nah, I kicked the stuff a while ago."

"Then perhaps you would like another detention."

"No thanks."

"It wasn't a question. You will have detention with me."

"Okay, fine. I didn't know you enjoyed my company so much."

"Get out!"

That was fun. Zavy decided to go to the detention with a smile on her face. She completely ignored the pain, knowing that its what Umbridge thrived on. But, on a much happier note, Christmas holidays were right around the corner. Meaning in the next morning, they would all be back on a train to Grimauld Palace, the home of Sirius Black and most recently, Headquarters.

Zavy knew that George was eager to get home. Recently, his father, Arthur, was attacked at the Ministry by a snake. Harry had apparently been having nightmare's as of late. Turns out that because of the scar Voldemort gave Harry on the attempted murder, the boy is able to see into the mind, and vise versa. So, that being done, Harry was able to see that attack on Mr. Weasley, in turn, most likely saving his life.

Truth be told, Zavy was worried about them. About all of them. The disappearance numbers were increasing, and that meant that it was all coming in too serious. He was out there, gathering power. Every minute that went by, he was getting stronger. Everyday she worried about if she was as well, if she would be able to defend herself when the time came.

"Zavy?" George spoke sleepily. She looked over at him, and he rolled over to face her, "Why are you still awake?"

She kissed him, "Just can't sleep."

"You okay?"

"Yeah... Just a lot on my mind."

He kissed her, letting it linger for a few moments, "Stop thinking, love. Just sleep."

She smiled, "I'll try."

"Not good enough."

"When did you become so high maintenance?"

"Just now."

She let out a quiet chuckle, "I'll try."

"Still not good enough."

"Well, what exactly are you going to do about it?" she raised a brow.

"I just have to do everything, don't I? Alright, I'll put you to sleep," he said in an exasperated tone, but a winning smile on his face.

Brenden sat in his room at headquarters. There wasn't much to do, and he wasn't really interested in being social. Instead he sat, pondering their next plan of action. The summer would be the best time to go back to his home. It made sense, the four of them would be done school. He just didn't understand why they needed to take Fred and George. They would stick out like a sore thumb, making it really hard for the two of them to blend in without being noticed. Just because there are death eaters in England does not mean that some of them would be sent to Canada. Voldemort knows of the existence of the DelCotta twins, he knows that's where they came from. He will surely have death eaters somewhere lurking in the area. The only thing that couldn't be certain is whether or not the seers had any around, or if Voldemort knew of their mission. Surely in the name of prophecy, he had his own tasks to complete.

There was another reason that Brenden sat alone. He was writing the bits and pieces of the prophecy that came to his dreams. He wanted to be able to compare notes, but he needed Zavy's version of it. He was also trying to figure out the major changes in his life that caused the words to change as well. If he could figure out what changes in life gave them a clue as to how close they were getting to the end, then maybe they would have an advantage on their enemies. There would only be one way to know. He hadn't talked to Zavy yet about writing down her portion of the prophecy, but he knew that he had to soon.

Zavy sat with George in the twins' room. She knew that Brenden wanted his space, and she was respectful enough to let him have it. She was playing with the ring George had given her on her birthday. She never took it off, anyone could see the tan line underneath it. Alexandra was the first to notice it. Zavy felt kind of guilty. She hadn't talked to her friend in what seemed like ages. She kind of disappeared from the world, no longer wanting to take part in any kind of conversation. Then again, since Zavy started dating George, she had been in her own little seclusion. It didn't even feel like she spent any time with her brother, just George. Of course she wanted to be around the boy that made her so happy, but she had to make time for others too. However, a place where she was surrounded by him and his family was not a good time to start making time for others. She supposed she would have to do that when she went back to school.

"Ready to go?" asked George. She jumped, a sign that her guard was down. At least it was in a safe place, so she didn't give herself too much shit for it. The twins had apparated to the bedroom, waiting for her to take them to the abandoned shop. They had to do it in secret, seeing as the adults wouldn't let them out of their sight.

"Yeah, just let me get Brenden. I'm sure he misses home," she replied.

"Well get a move on then woman. You take forever," said Fred.

"Not as long as you in the morning darlin'" said Zavy with a smirk. She left to go find her brother. The twins waited patiently in their room for the other twins to return.

"You two getting along?"

"Of course, why would you ask that?" said George, confused.

"No reason. Just seems like she's been in her own world lately. Brenden too."

"They have a huge pressure on them. Zavy's always worried that when it comes time to actually fight, she won't be strong enough."

"You know that she needs more looking after than her brother."

"Oh?"

"She's female."

"Really? Now that you mention it..."

"Stop joking for a moment, I'm serious mate. They'll view her as the weaker twin, and most likely focus their efforts on her."

"I know Fred. I'm worried about all of that, but if I start to show it, it'll only make things worse for her."

"What are you going to do about her drinking problem? I've tried putting in a word, but it doesn't seem to be effecting her."

"I don't know. I don't want to seem controlling, but she's destroying herself. I thought at first it was helping her cope, at least get to sleep at night. But now she doesn't even sleep. Every night I wake up and she's just staring or whispering to herself. Most of the time she sings quietly."

"I've heard the singing before. You've got to do something, mate. I love her too, and I don't want to see her hurt herself anymore."

"I'll try talking to her tonight."

"Alright ladies, we all ready?" asked Zavy walking back with her brother.

"Been waiting on you woman," said Fred.

"Let's get this over with then. I don't know about you two, but I certainly don't want to feel your mother's wrath," said Brenden. Zavy laughed, taking George's hand. She grabbed Fred's hand with her free one. They were in a circle, and then, Brenden apparated them to the flat of the DelCotta twins. The first thing Zavy did when she got home was go straight to her room, as did Brenden. They hadn't been home in months, and collapsing on her bed felt so good right now. She missed her bed. It was so comfortable, and soft. She turned on her back, looking at her walls. How she missed them.

"It's nice in here," said George from the doorway. He had never seen Zavy's room before, let alone her whole flat. It was very decorative, shades of colours she loved, and pictures she had recently taken hung up. It was spacious for a bedroom, and a door led to her own balcony.

"Thanks. I'm quite attached to it," she replied. She got up out of bed, looking at her surroundings once more. She closed the door behind her after that, meeting up with Fred again in the living room, "Alright, let's head downstairs. There's a lot of stuff, and its very messy." The boys just shrugged, as they followed her to the hallway that only had one door to it. She unlocked it, turning on the lights and then walking down to the shop she had only been to once. It was really big down here. She didn't really take it in because of the mess, but she saw the twins' faces light up with anticipation.

"We'll definitely have to do something with this mess," observed Fred, pulling out his wand and using it to vanish his area. George did the same thing, and it was all nice and cleared out. Zavy let go of a single thought, and it was sparkling clean afterwards. It looked much bigger than before, not that all the extra crap was cleaned out. The twins kept waving their wands, and all of their things appeared neatly on the shelves. Zavy smiled, looking around in wonder at how well it was all coming together. She had never known the extent of their business before, and felt kind of bad that she didn't pay all that much attention. Some things were empty, but with a promise of something great to occupy them.

"This is amazing you guys," she said, still looking around.

"This isn't even close to all of our products," said George.

"Still. I'm quite impressed."

"Yeah, we'll have to start sound guarding the upstairs to keep all the noise out," said Brenden, who had managed to find his way down the stairs.

"You think people will come with such dark times?"

"Of course. People will need a good laugh. You're best bet is to start making things that'll help people escape if they need to. Weapons, but not deadly ones."

"Way ahead of you mate," said Fred, smiling, "We've already perfected some of those."

"Got the idea from Harry's classes," said George.

"Right on," said Zavy, looking around, "It's really coming together quite nicely, isn't it."

"That was the plan," said Fred. The four of them just looked around for a few moments. Zavy felt like this was her future, helping in the shop with George and Fred. But it didn't feel completely right. What about Brenden? What would he do? How could this all work? She would just have to wait and find out. But she was impatient.

"We should head back.. We've been gone a long time," said Brenden. The three of them nodded, and took their positions. They apparated back to headquarters, Fred and George's room. It was about dinner time, and Mrs. Weasley had just called them down, so at least no one really noticed their disappearance. Fred and Brenden went downstairs. Zavy was about to follow, but George held her hand. She looked at him, confused. He wanted to say something, that much she could tell.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Z..." he trailed. How was he supposed to word this?

"George?" she was worried. Her heart began to beat faster as she waited for whatever it was that he had to say.

"Well..." he looked at her. There was no pink to her eye, just a dull greyish blue. He smiled, almost looking sad, "I love you," he finally said, hugging her close.

"I love you... Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. Let's go get something to eat," he said, masking his emotions for now. She was still unsure about what he wanted to say, but decided to leave it for now. He would tell her, that she was sure of.

"Okay," she spoke, keeping her hand in his and heading down the stairs to the kitchen.

Zavy's return to school was quite uneventful. She went to her classes, she was with Fred, George, Brenden and the others, but she didn't feel exactly like she was there. It wasn't like those times where her subconscious was pushed to the side, it was just like being in a constant haze. During these times, she sought out Alexandra, who seemed to bring her back to reality. The two of them were talking as if nothing had changed, like there wasn't a huge time period of no communication. That made Zavy feel good, no guilt towards having this all happen.

On top of that friendship, Zavy found herself sleeping alone more often than not. George seemed hurt by the way she didn't want to spend nights with him anymore, but wasn't pushing it on her. Not only that, but the two of them just stopped talking, as if there was something he needed to say to her, but wouldn't spit it out. She didn't know what to do, every time she was around, he had sad eyes and a grim expression. Zavy was drinking more, unable to deal with how her boyfriend was acting around her. She didn't know what else to do. When she did try and get the information out, they just ended up fighting. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't love him and want to be around him, she just couldn't handle his exterior attitude towards her. She knew it was just her, because she had seen his expressions while she wasn't around, while he was testing products with Fred and Lee. Come to think of it, she was upset that he was hiding things from her. What the fuck? Was she not good enough to tell? If he had a problem, he should tell her, how else is she supposed to help if she doesn't know anything? If only things were that simple.

As the days passed, it seemed that her own twin was starting to avoid her. What was going on? It seemed that the only person who even cared about her was Alexandra. At least it was someone. What happened anyway?

"You alright Z?" asked Alex. They were seated at the Hufflepuff table, seeing as no one wanted to be around her anyway.

"Yeah. Just don't understand why everything has changed," she replied, picking at her food.

"What do you mean?"

"I just feel like everyone is avoiding me lately. I don't really understand it. Been fighting with George lately too. He's upset with me, and he won't tell me."

"Ah well, you could do better anyway."

"You really think so?"

"Well sure. There's lots of better guys. Why settle now? You have a whole life to go through."

"I'm happy with George. I couldn't imagine being separated from him."

"You suck. But hey, I got a crazy idea if you want some attention from him."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Check this out," and Alex began to speak quietly to Zavy.

George sat in his dorm. Zavy was not with him-yet again. In fact, he hadn't seen her all day. They had been fighting a lot, Zavy was chain smoking, binge drinking and falling off her rocker. She didn't even make sense anymore, and quite frankly, he was getting fed up with it all. No, he didn't want to break up with her, but he was having trouble communicating his concerns with her. She just simply didn't listen, no matter what he said. She defended everything, even if it didn't make any sense. Most of it all started when she started talking to Alexandra again. He's not going to put the blame directly on the Hufflepuff, but there was something amiss and he couldn't quite tell what it was.

-_George?-_

"Bloody hell, who is that?" he asked out loud. Good thing his dorm mates were sleeping.

-_It's me, Brenden. Try just thinking what you want to say.-_

_-Merlin's beard this is amazing! Can Zavy do this to?-_

_-Yes, it's how we communicate when we're not together-_

_-That's amazing! How come she's never told me before?-_

_-That's not really important right now, mate. You might want to get to the astronomy tower, asap.-_

_-Why, what's going on?-_

_-Zavy... She's getting ready to jump, and I'm afraid I don't know what to do about it-_

_-She's what?-_

_-Just get over here!-_

George did not need to be told twice. He jumped out of bed and put some clothes on, waking up Fred in the process.

"What's all this about?" asked Fred.

"Zavy's going to jump off the astronomy tower," said George frantically, trying to find a clean shirt.

"Fuck," said Fred, jumping out of bed himself. He grabbed the first shirt he saw, and George gave up on trying to find one. The twins ran as fast as they could. George had to get there. What was she thinking? It seemed to take forever, he almost forgot where the astronomy tower was. It just seemed that he couldn't get there fast enough. Finally, after climbing the hundreds of stairs, they stopped dead. Brenden stood there, Alexandra was passed out on the ground in front of him. But that's not what George was looking for. Zavy was standing on the ledge, her face contorted in anger.

"Zavy..." George spoke softly.

"Stay back!" she snarled, her eyes red.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What do any of you care? Where have any of you been in the past forever anyway?" she yelled, drinking from the bottle clutched in her hand.

"Here, love. You've been pushing us away."

"Bullshit! All we do is fight. None of you ever try and talk to me about it, just sit there and be upset."

"You haven't given us a chance Z," said Brenden.

"Oh really? Fuck you!" she yelled, throwing her empty bottle at him. She took a small step back. Fuck it, why care anymore?

"Zavy love, don't do this, please..." trailed George, tears in his eyes. Why was this happening?

"It's too late... I'm done with this shit," she said, her own tears falling. "I don't want to deal with any of it anymore. At least this way, I can't be used as a weapon against humanity, muggle and wizard alike..." She spread her arms out, and pushed off with her feet, falling freely in the air.

...

there you have it.. sorry for the outrageously late update, but at least i got something done. let's hope i can keep it up. thank you to my wonderful readers, and those who review.


	40. Chapter 40

Zavy was standing on the edge of the astronomy tower. One more step, and she would fall to her death. But she didn't care. Her brother neglected her, her friends ignored her, and George just fought with her. What was the purpose of her existence anyway? Why was she even here? If she just killed herself, then she would be able to be less of a burden on them, make it easier on the world. No longer would they be in danger because of her and who she is.

"Zavy love, don't do this, please..." trailed George, tears in his eyes. Why was this happening?

"It's too late... I'm done with this shit," she said, her own tears falling. "I don't want to deal with any of it anymore. At least this way, I can't be used as a weapon against humanity, muggle and wizard alike..." She spread her arms out, and pushed off with her feet, falling freely in the air. She let a smile play on her lips, closing her eyes. This feeling of peace swept over her.

George widened his eyes as she disappeared off the tower, "ZAVY NO!" he yelled, jumping after her.

"George!" Fred and Brenden were heard faintly in the distance. George kept his arms and legs straight, shooting through the air like a bullet. He was closing in on her. He didn't understand. Why did she do this? What was wrong with her? He just had to reach her, had to get there and then everything would be okay. He was finally able to reach her arm, and then he pulled her closer to him.

"George?" she asked, truly surprised that he was there, "What are you doing?"

"I'm not quite sure at the moment love. But you're stuck with me. If you go, then I go," he said, kissing her forehead as he held her close.

"But... You can't die because of me... I don't want anyone else to die because of me..." she trailed, starting to cry.

"Then what are you going to do about this?" he asked calmly.

"I don't know!" she wailed, wishing she could think. What had she done? Soon, they would plummet to their deaths, and it would be all her fault. It was one thing to take her own life, but to get the person she loved most in the world involved... how selfish was that? No... She saw the ground coming at them fast. Any moment, they would make impact.

"NOO!" she screamed, jumping out of her bed. She was sweating, panting, as she slowly came to realize that it wasn't real. It was just a dream. But... it felt so real? Without thinking twice, she threw off her covers and started frantically looking for her flask. She paused then.

"Please Zavy, George and I can smell the booze on your breath all the time. We know you have a stash somewhere, and that your water bottle is full of something other than water."

She stopped, looking down guiltily, "So I guess it wasn't a real secret."

Fred put a hand on her shoulder, "We understand that your stressed Z. I just wish you could see how much it hurts him to watch you destroy yourself like this. He doesn't say anything, he wants you to feel better. But the binge you're going on won't help you. Your liver is starting to become trashed with all that you've been drinking. He's putting up with it, but you're hurting him."

She shook her head. Not this time, not if it meant it would hurt him. She bolted out of her dorm, and went straight to George. She barged in the door, and closed it, not caring if the other occupants woke up. They didn't, it was as if everyone was in some sort of deep sleep. She ran to his bed, pulled off the covers and laid down with him.

"Zavy?" he said sleepily.

"Yeah..." she said, snuggling close to him. He put an arm around her, pulling her close. He could tell she was upset about something.

"What happened?"

"Bad dream."

"Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that my drinking and drug use have been upsetting you. I'm sorry. I haven't been meaning to fight with you either, I just got fed up that you weren't telling me whats wrong. But I know now, and I'll try. I'll try for you, for me, and Brenden. I just don't want to cause anyone anymore pain," she sobbed to him.

"Hey..." he spoke in a soothing voice, "We all love you, Z. Please don't cry, that's only causing me pain."

She smiled, "You're cheating."

"And it's working."

She laughed a little after that, tears still fresh, however. He wiped them away, wishing he hadn't made her feel so bad. He kissed her then, knowing she meant her apology when he didn't taste any alcohol or smoke like he was expecting, like he had grown accustomed to the past year. He held her close, until he was sure she was sleeping. Maybe the potion Brenden brewed really did work, and that's why she was acting like this. He could only hope that things would improve for her.

Zavy woke up for the first time in months with a clear head. It felt strange, and she was unsure of how to cope with it. She sat up, but that definitely didn't help. She ran to the bathroom, noisily emptying the contents of her stomach. Withdraw, day one. Not fun. These were three things she was giving up completely, it was going to be hard. But she was a sorceress, and an amazing potions master, she could surely whip up something help her deal with this.

"Oi! Hurry up in there!" Zavy heard Fred banging on the door. She willed a toothbrush and toothpaste and quickly brushed her teeth before getting out. "When did you get here?" asked Fred, figuring someone else was getting sick in the bathroom.

"Last night," she said, wanting to puke all over again. One thing was for sure, she was not attending classes today. How could she? Moving felt terrible to her. She laid in the bed, a terrible pounding in her head about to start. Great. This was the best... Hell, she didn't even want to smoke if this was going on. George put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Morning love," he spoke softly, waking up.

"Hey sexy," she said. She couldn't do this. She willed a garbage into existence, and was once again, noisily emptying the contents of her stomach. She felt George rubbing her back.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Just withdraw's," she said, before letting go of another round. George didn't know what to say. He certainly wasn't expecting this though.

"Would you like me to get you something?"

"No, I don't think I could eat anything right now."

"Well you need to eat something, or else you'll have nothing to throw up."

"No."

"Zavy..."

"Fine," she sighed, only getting stomach acid this time. George nodded, kissing her cheek and then getting out of bed.

Fred and George walked down to the Great Hall for some breakfast. They knew that they would see Brenden there, and were sure that he would want an update on his sister. George felt bad about what he did to her, but it seemed to work, and that was what mattered now. They arrived at their destination, and proceeded to the Ravenclaw table, where Brenden, Alexandra, and Luna sat. The twins took a seat, grabbing some food for themselves.

"Did it work?" asked Alex eagerly.

"It seems to be. She's really sick right now," said Fred.

"Came to my room sometime in the night. Said she had a bad dream," replied George.

"Good. Now she's just going to be sick for the next few days until she can be well enough to make a potion for it," said Brenden.

"Can't you do it?"

"No. I don't have the skill for a potion like that. Only she can do it, or Snape, and I doubt any of you lot want to ask him to make it."

"S'alright mate, I'll pass on that," said Fred. George and Alex nodded.

"It was already complicated to make that potion in the first place..." trailed Brenden.

"I'm just worried about hurting her," said George.

"No, what you should be worried about is her finding out about this. If she knows we went behind her back and slipped her the potion, all hell will break loose."

"We can't tell her?"

"Not ever. She'd never let us hear the end of it, besides the fact that she could just easily get back on the wagon."

"But couldn't she just reach into our minds?" asked Fred.

"She wouldn't unless it was necessary," Brenden assured them.

George nodded, gathering up some food, "I doubt she'll be leaving the bed today. I'll stay with her to keep an eye on her at least."

"Thanks. I'll be up to see her at some point today, unless she desperately needs me at some point."

"Alright mate. Thanks, let's hope this all works."

Three days. Three days that felt like constant puking and she still wasn't getting any better. Much to George's dismay, she had a couple of smokes. He didn't argue with her, nor did he look all that upset. He understood that it would be tough, and it was only two in three days. He wasn't all that worried about it. He just wished he could do something more for her, to take her pain away. If only he had the potion brewing skills that she did, then it wouldn't be a problem. But for now, he watched her suffer for three days while her body healed all of the damage she had done to it. He hated seeing her in pain, but what more could he do? He didn't even like the idea of going behind her back and getting Alexandra to slip her the potion. He couldn't even imagine what she dreamed about that made her run to him. Truth be told, he wasn't even expecting that.

"George..." she groaned.

"Yes love?" he was there with her the whole time. Not like he'd learn anything in school anyway.

"Could you get me some water please?"

"Of course," he said. He did it right on the spot, and she drank it quickly. Shortly after, there was a quiet knock on the door. George got up, confused as to who would be there. He answered it though, and Brenden stood there.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Still not good."

"I figured, or else she wouldn't have called me."

"When did she call you?" George was confused. She hadn't left the room, nor seen anyone-aside from Fred and Lee. Brenden's answer was just an exasperated look, and George understood instantly. The DelCotta twin came inside, giving her a vile of fluid. He dropped to his knees, sitting on them and cleaning up the pile in the garbage can that her head stayed hovered over.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The best I could do. I'm not you, I don't have your talents, but it should help make you feel somewhat better," answered Brenden.

She smiled weakly, "Thanks," and drank the contents quickly.

"Maybe you can make a better one if this one helps at all."

"I've been thinking about just taking the infection right out."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a way I can reach my mind into my own body. I'm sure if I isolated all the problem, filtered my blood, I'd be able to get better quicker."

"I don't like the sounds of that Z..."

"Of course you don't, you know nothing of anatomy. I, however, have been studying it for the past two and a half years, I have a great understanding of it."

"I still don't think you should."

"Well in all honesty, we're the only ones who would be able to. Could you imagine if I did it? I'd be able to do so much more to heal people.."

"Experiment on someone else, you aren't doing this to yourself without testing it."

"Please?"

"No."

George blinked. Since when did Brenden have so much control over her? Had he never noticed it before? No. That wasn't it. There was no control, just the bond of the twin that only he himself could understand. There was no I, just us. Even if one of them were to die, they would always think of plural. He smiled. They were more alike then first thought. Maybe they weren't identical on the outside, but inside, they shared the same thoughts and feelings. Brenden was a good brother, and George was proud to consider him one of his own.

Zavy remembered the patronus charm. It wasn't as easy as she first thought, and for once, she was participating in the group. Brenden hadn't learned, and she was surprised to hear that. Since Harry couldn't teach him, the task fell onto her. She had been feeling better since Brenden's tonic, and did use that time to help with her sickness. Today she felt queasy, but it was the first day she didn't have to rely on the potion in order to function properly. George was beaming at the progress she made, and that made all the pain she was enduring worth it. She didn't want him to be upset anymore, and she would be damned if that all happened again. That being said, Zavy linked her mind with her brother's, and then showed him how she made her patronus, and there emerged a white wolf, staring at him. It was easy for her think of happy memories, since the boy was standing right beside her.

George looked in awe at Zavy's wolf. It sat there, observing him, and he smiled. He had never seen her actually become the wolf, but he was impressed all the same. He wanted she be able to do this as well. He was supposed to learn this spell this year anyway, but he knew that wasn't happening with Umbridge calling the shots. At least he could learn, curious as to what animal form his would take. He had to think of a happy memory, a really powerful one. He wasn't sure what to choose from, there were so many. His first thoughts were Zavy, but where to start? There were so many times that made his heart flutter. Just the thought of her put a smile on his face. Then it came to him. The first time she told him that she loved him. He smiled, thinking about how she blurted it out so casually and then disappeared. He was so shocked that she had even said that, but it was so worth it. He felt so happy at that time. He tried his patronus then, that same smile still on his face.

"You did it!" she said excitedly. Standing in a circle was Zavy's wolf, Brenden's lion, Fred's hyena and George's coyote. The four of them stood proud at what they had done, completely ignoring their surroundings. That was, until they heard an explosion. Looking over, Umbridge had found them, she was standing right in the doorway. But how? Zavy scowled, every patronus in the room disappearing. Who was missing today that wasn't there the last time? It would be hard to know, but she was sure they'd figure it out.

They were all rounded up in the Great Hall, writing those stupid lines with those stupid quills Umbridge used. Zavy ignored the pain, but she was very fed up. Turns out that Cho's friend Marietta was the snitch. Not only that, but because this was called "Dumbledore's Army", he was confronted about it, in front of Harry. Zavy only knew what the boy told her, and that was, her god father took the blame, keeping the children out of trouble, and then just left with Fawkes. There was no way to track a man like that down, and Zavy wasn't even going to bother trying to look. Because Dumbledore was gone, that meant old toad face was now Headmistress. There was going to be hell to pay for this one, and not just with these stupid infuriating lines. The school year didn't have long to last, but she knew that Fred and George were becoming quite sick of this bitch's rules. She could tell they were planning something, and she was hoping that they'd tell her before it all happened.

Zavy sat in the dorm with Fred, George and Lee afterwards. She was cleaning and bandaging George's hand, while Lee handled Fred. She then proceeded to do her own, while the boys talked.

"We have to do something about this," said Fred, "I can't stand her anymore."

"I hear you, mate. She's using anything she can to control Hogwarts and turn it into drones," said Lee.

"I hate the way she twists everything into an accusation of something you never said, and then manages to get away with that. Stupid bitch," said Zavy.

"I thought that's what all girls did," George teased, smiling.

Zavy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Whats the plan then?" asked Fred. Nobody answered. There didn't seem to be a way to do this without getting themselves into more trouble.

"How close is the shop to being ready?" asked Lee.

"Nearly there. Should be ready just short of the end of the year," answered George.

"That doesn't give us a quick solution..."

"No, but there is hope. If we can get it done quickly, we'd be able to leave for good. We don't need this place, we have the shop, we have the money, and we'll definitely have the customers."

"Just need to find a place to live. Can't stay at mum's if we're going to be running the shop," said Fred.

"Any chance Brenden would move out?" asked George smiling.

"No, I wouldn't want him to. We might be able to construct a third bedroom, discreetly of course. I'll have to talk to him about it though," said Zavy.

"You coming with us, Z? When we high tail it outta here?" asked Fred.

"Of course. Where else would I go? Stay here? I mean, the only bonus to that is I'd pretty much have the dorm to myself."

"You two are just lucky that no one has said anything about you sleeping in here all the time, or let that slip," said Lee.

"Yeah. Well, let's hope she got her fill for busting Dumbledore's Army and making Headmistress. I wish the Ministry would just open their eyes."

"They'll see it soon, Z. It's not like You Know Who is going to stay this quiet forever. He wants people to feel fear at his name."

"Yeah, and it's working with the way you guys refuse to say it. Voldemort. Was that so hard?"

"She's right. We're still in fear of... V.. Voldemort," said Fred.

"Well done."

"Just needed a good kick," said George.

"We're losing focus here," said Fred, "We can't just leave without making a scene, it wouldn't make any sense for our business."

"Just give them a good fireworks show," said Zavy.

"Fireworks are tough, it would have to be amazing, one like no other."

"How about the one you gave me?"

The boys pondered that.

"Perfect," they said. Zavy smiled. At least she was helpful.

...

there we go, to make up for such long lost time, take another chapter.. on the house! :) thanks for reading, please review!


	41. Chapter 41

Brenden had many things on his mind. He was well informed of the twins and Zavy's plan of action once the shop was ready, he wasn't sure where his god father had went to, and didn't know what to do about this Umbridge problem. On top of that, it was getting harder for him to meet with his sister in private, with the way the High Inquisitor squad seemed to be tailing not only him, but all the other members of DA. The only way they could talk was with their minds, but it was tedious and exhausting to speak like that. Not to mention, there could be unfriendly ears everywhere, and their minds would be utterly defenseless if someone chanced to give it a shot. He supposed the best course of action would be to wait until Umbridge's focus was on something else. But Brenden was an accomplice of Harry Potter and that crowd, there was no one who would leave him alone. That set aside, he was a DelCotta, one of the last ones out there, a sorcerer, and someone like that had much more powerful enemies.

There had to be something else to occupy his mind. He had followed his sister's trend and stopped attending his DADA classes. He really didn't need it, didn't need any of this, he was well adept in his magic to be able to take care of himself and any harm that came his way. Through his thoughts he had been walking towards his common room. He did that a lot, and didn't really care to spend time out of it. He was well aware that it was the middle of the class day, but as time was coming to a close, he decided to give up on it all. He would just wait until testing day and show them all how much he already knew, and that he didn't need to learn. As he approached the entrance of his common room, he looked suspiciously down the corridor. Kyle? But he had graduated. Brenden blinked yet again and the bloke was no longer there. Weird.

"I am the beginning of the end, I am the end of time, and I am in everything," the riddle spoke in order to gain access to his commons.

Brenden rolled his eyes, "The letter 'E'," he spoke in an almost bored tone of voice. Honestly, who thought of these things? He nearly tripped however, as a furry black and white cat darted in before him. He grunted, as the door behind him closed. The common room was never loud, it was always different than the Gryffindor one, as he had been accustomed to visiting more often than not. Most Ravenclaw's spent their time reading, and didn't bother with each other as most of the student seemed to. Of course, he had never been in Slytherin, so how could he know what went on there? He didn't really want to think about that anyhow, seeing as he hadn't met a Slytherin worth his time of day. He wasn't just going on what the rumours were, he gave them all a chance, and none of them seemed to pique his interest. That being thought out, he didn't bother sitting down with anyone in his common room, just headed towards the boys dormitories.

"Oi, Brenden!" he heard a voice behind him. He sighed, turning to see a fifth year headed towards him. He could recall his name.

"What's up?" Brenden asked in a neutral tone.

"Did you get the essay from McGonagall two years ago?"

"The one about animagous?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"I'm having trouble with my last two parchments. I've got the first four down pretty well, but I just can't quite figure out how to end it properly. Could you help me out mate?"

Brenden inwardly cringed. Why was it that the younger years had so much trouble? And why did they always look to him? Sometimes he felt as if the library wasn't safe for him anymore, that he could only find solace in the Gryffindor common room. At least no one pestered him there, other than Hermione, but she was smart enough that Brenden often wondered if she was sorted wrong. "Sure, I just need to take care of something first. If I'm not back in time, just try looking through the book, that's where I got most of my information anyhow."

"Thanks," the boy smiled, walking back to his work. Sometimes Ravenclaw's were so dull. With a gentle sigh, he continued on his destination, that damn cat from earlier nearly tripping him on the way. Once he had gotten to the dorm, he noticed that the cat was looking at him expectantly.

"Shoo," he told the thing, not wanting to deal with someone's pet. Honestly, couldn't he just get a break? The cat mewed at him, almost like it was scolding him. What had he done to the thing? Rolling his eyes, he opened the door to his dorm, happy to find it empty and was about to fall into bed when the cat had jumped. He tried to stop himself but collapsed on the poor thing's tale. "Damnit!" he spoke, the most modest of a stream of curses that left his mouth. The cat scratched him on the face, and then jumped off his bed. Not a moment later, his sister was standing there, glaring at him.

"Can't you be more careful?" she demanded of him, trying not to hold her ass in the pain she was feeling.

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about? What about you?" Brenden told her icily, holding his face where she had scratched her.

"Me? You couldn't even tell it was me in the first place! Why are you keeping yourself so off guard?"

"You mean like the way you are when you're around George?"

"I keep myself well on guard!"

"That's why I sneak up on you all the time?"

"What would you know?"

"More than you apparently. I could hex you from where you stand when you're with him and you would be one the wiser."

"Says you!"

Brenden rolled his eyes again. This wasn't going to go anywhere once it got to this point, "What the hell do you want anyway?"

"To kick your ass now!" she told him spitefully. Bastard.

"Try it Z, I'm in no mood to deal with this shit right now," he spoke, lying on his bed and staring at his ceiling.

Zavy blinked. That wasn't normal, "What's wrong with you?" she asked, all malice from her voice gone.

Brenden grunted, turning away from her and mumbling.

"Hello?" she spoke, going to his other side.

"Nothing..."

"Seriously? You're trying the nothing shit with me? You know you're a bad liar."

"Oh, have you finally taken notice of something else outside you're fantasy world?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and George. There seems to be nothing else going into your ears when you're with him, nothing! It's bloody frustrating is what it is! How are we supposed to prepare ourselves when I can't even talk to you! There's nothing but air between your ears, you know that?" Brenden had at some point sat up.

Zavy narrowed her eyes, "Is it so wrong for me to _enjoy _the time I spend with someone who makes me happy?"

"When you know you have responsibilities, YES! We don't have time for you to fuck every minute you get! We don't have time to be putting off whats most important! Do you know remember our mission?"

"Of course I do you clot!"

"Then why haven't we had a plan of action yet? We should have been home and back by now!"

"You bloody well know that Umbridge will just bust us when we finally have a chance to talk!"

"Well what's so wrong with right now!"

"What in the hell do you think I'm doing here you prat!"

Brenden blinked. He let out a sigh and laid back on his bed, "I'm sorry Z. I'm just so _bored_! There's no point in being in this stupid school anymore, not with that bitch acting like the cock of the walk. Besides, we aren't learning anything anyhow, what is the point in being here?"

"So that we can keep our cover instead of spending time in the wizarding villages attracting attention."

"It seems silly."

"Well Voldemort I'm sure is looking for us."

"But we're just making it easy for him. The three people he wants are sitting under protection in one place that isn't all that remote."

"He wouldn't dare come near us with Dumbledore hovering over our protection."

"That doesn't mean he won't have time to think of a way to bypass him and get to us."

Zavy bit her lip. He was right, but she knew that they needed to remain here. They also needed to get further with their mission. How else would they proceed with the warnings created just for them. The shop was almost ready, aside from a place for Fred to live. It was just a matter of moments now, "We can go home when Fred and George decide to leave the school."

"What do you mean?"

"They're going to make a spectacle of themselves, we can use that distraction to leave, meet up with them at home and then head towards our objective. We need the two of them anyway, so what better time?"

Brenden thought about it. He couldn't find any fault to it, "Sounds good sis. Do we have everything we need?"

"We can use the time we have now to gather everything. I wish we could let our god father know, but there'd be no way for us to track him."

"That's true..." Brenden trailed. He laid on his back, his eyes facing the ceiling once more. Zavy sighed, not knowing what to do. He felt her weight on the bed, and gave her some space. The two of them sat in silence, contemplating their next moves. It was the first time in a while that they'd been able to actually talk, and the tension only got worse with each passing moment of inaction. They needed the guidance of their god father, but had no way of getting it.

"I miss mom," said Zavy quietly. She didn't want to disturb, but she knew that at that moment, it's what they were both thinking.

"Me too... and dad."

"I can't believe its been this long and we've barely thought of them."

"Don't feel bad Z, just makes it easier when we don't think about it."

"I know, but we should pay respects now and then."

"How?"

"Giving them a thought."

"Well think about this, we have never once seen the graves of our parents."

"You're right, we don't even know where they are."

"Huh... Of all things for us not to bother with, it's the location."

"Have our minds been asleep this whole time?"

"It's not all together impossible. You remember that time with the giants when you pretty much became one?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you say that you had times where you felt like your awareness was being pushed aside? That you were there but you weren't?"

"Well, yeah but I don't really see what you're getting at here."

"What if our parents' grave is a clue of some kind? And the idea didn't pop into our heads because it wasn't supposed to?"

"The prophecy taking actions into its own hands?"

"Yeah. All the delays we get, all the reason we don't think of things until a precise moment."

"The timing affects the actions. Brilliant."

"I know!"

"Think about all the frustrating words that could have been avoided," Zavy gave him a look.

"You weren't all that innocent yourself Z."

"I know, but at least I had more patience than you."

"More like procrastination. Every since you started dating George you're mind has been gone, hell even before that."

"Well excuse me for having a good time."

"You're excused alright. Seriously though, it's good to see you happy. He's doing a good job."

"Thanks. I really love the fucker."

"I can tell."

"What about you?"

"No, I much prefer the company of a vagina."

"I know that you bum, I meant, what about you and a love life?"

"What about it?"

"Why is it lacking?"

"Because? I don't know Zavy..."

"What about you and Alex?"

"I don't see that happening again. We're good enough as friends and I just don't feel that way about her anymore. Things have changed."

"Well that blows."

"Not as much as you."

"Hey!"

"My name is not 'Hey'"

"You're starting to sound an awful lot like me..."

"We're twins dummy. Besides, you sound like a love starved twit lately."

"Oh come off it! You're just jealous!"

"Of you? Hardly."

Zavy laughed and swatted him. He simply just grinned. It was nice to feel close to each other again, it hadn't been like that in ages. She really missed her brother, and the time they used to spend together. For years, it was just the two of them, and now things changed. They branched off, probably a result of being in different houses at school. Even in the summer they worked, aside from the past summer where they took turns watching over Harry. Things in the world just seemed to be getting more intense, more real, and their childhood memories were slowly slipping away. How could this have all happened? Whatever happened to normal? After several moments of starting at the top of the four poster bed, Zavy opened her mouth.

"You realize that we have absolutely no idea where the seers are, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. We'll need to do a little more research," Brenden replied.

"We'll have to set up a base camp."

"Good thinking. We'll need to gather supplies as well."

"Yeah.. It could be a long journey."

"And the boys probably have never left the country."

"That's not true, they went to Egypt, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"Silly Brenden, not remembering stuff."

"Alright," he said, standing up and walking towards his door.

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to talk to the boys."

...

sorry, short chapter, just wanted to keep the focus on one thing here.. thanks for reading :)


	42. Chapter 42

Zavy and Brenden did not have time to speak with the boys. It appeared that as soon as the twins found the boys, they were otherwise occupied. Harry was walking towards them on the other side of the corridor, Fred and George were sitting on either side of a first year. Harry kept his distance, while the DelCotta twins approached, Zavy curious about what was going on. The first year was crying, Fred assuring the boy that it would heal. Zavy's eyes turned a steely grey. Poor boy.

Zavy didn't hear what Fred had said, but the boys cries had subsided. She stood by them, her brother at her side. Harry looked on, his face angry and full of pity for this little boy.

"It's not as bad as it seems, see? You can hardly see ours anymore," said Fred.

"And the pain stops after a while," said George.

Umbridge then cleared her throat. Zavy's eyes flashed red before returning to that steely grey. The twins stood, standing tall next to her and her brother, as Harry came to stand with them.

"As I told you once before, Mr. Potter, naughty children deserve to be punished," said Umbridge. The four of them stood their ground, before the toad faced bitch turned her back and left.

"You know, George, I've always felt our future's lied outside the world of academic achievement," mused Fred.

"Fred, I've been thinking exactly the same thing," replied George. Zavy knew what that meant and it fit into her and her brother's timetable all too well. They would need to be informed.

"I'll take him back to the commons," offered Harry. Both sets of twins nodded, moving out of his way.

Zavy looked at her brother, wondering what he was thinking. They had to tell Fred and George about what their plan was, and start to make those preparations. The four of them walked to Gryffindor's tower, straight passed the common room and up to the twins' dorm that they shared with Lee.

"Zavy, do you still have that package of fireworks I gave you?" asked Fred.

The blond nodded, sitting in between George and Brenden.

"So it's final then? You two will be leaving?" asked Zavy.

George nodded, "Shop just needs a new exterior and a room for Fred and it's done."

"You think you can put that on hold for a bit?" asked Brenden. The Weasley's looked at him curiously.

"The shop or the school, mate?" asked Fred.

"Don't think the school can wait any longer," said George.

"The shop," said Zavy, "We have to complete our task, the time's drawing near. The two of you need to come with us in order to do that."

"Us?" they both inquired.

"Yes," the DelCotta's answered.

"Don't ask why. We don't even know. We don't even know why we do these things, we just have to do them," said Zavy.

"We also know that if any of our tasks remain incomplete before the war, we'll lose for sure. This task is clear, the two of you are coming to Canada with us to get the prophecy from the seers," said Brenden.

"You sure that's a good idea, mate? Going back I mean?" asked Fred.

"Won't the death eaters just be there, waiting for you?" asked George, taking Zavy into his arms most instinctively to protect her.

"We can handle death eaters," said Brenden.

"Yes, love, it's not like Voldemort will leave here, not when he's so close to Harry," Zavy leaned her head against George reassuringly.

"You both know we have to do this. After tomorrow, Zavy and I will have our things packed and be waiting for you at our flat. I'd like to start thinking more about leaving by next week."

"We'll be out of here after tomorrow as well, got a nice plan for the O.W.L's," said Fred wickedly.

Zavy felt good about being home. It felt nice to be away from that prison. What a terrible last year. At least she still had a lot if good memories. She cleaned the house without her powers, knowing that she had the time to do so. She did want to see how the twins made their big exit, but she also knew that the attention would switch to her about their whereabouts. Umbridge didn't like being made a fool of, and that's exactly what would happen.

She laid on her bed once she was finished, feeling better about the place. With her and her brother's talent, it would take no time at all to construct a room for Fred. But it could wait, she hadn't been in her own bed for such a long time. But soon it wouldn't be just hers, she would be sharing it with George. That meant it would be theirs, it would have to be a reflection of both of them, not just her. She had never been alone, but it would be strange to have someone almost constantly in her space.

"Happy to be back?" asked Brenden, coming to lie on the bed with her.

"Yeah. Just be better if we didn't have to leave so soon," replied Zavy.

"I doubt we'll be able to stay here anyway, until this war is over."

"You know that it's probably common knowledge that I'm with George. When the twins open the shop, we could be quite conspicious here. I wouldn't doubt that death eaters will want to check it out. We should make it look more like Fred and George have been living here, and do. Build a safe place for us to hide."

"A death eater wouldnt come here during store hours. Probably be best if we keep watch overnight while they're in the shop all day."

"Or we stay at headquarters. At least we can all sleep there."

"We should still have a back up plan."

"We have lots of plans. I'm pretty sure the Weasley's won't let their kids out of sight until they feel it's safe. And we're part of that particular circle."

"That's true."

"You both know that my mum won't be happy about our little adventure," said George. Zavy looked, surprised to see him there. She shouldn't let her guard down around here, but she felt safe with her brother. George was leaning on the door frame with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed. Brenden got off the bed, letting the two of them have some time. It wasn't that they didn't get enough time, but this was a special place for them. This was now their home.

George closed the door behind him, coming to sit on the bed with his girlfriend. She smiled at him, before returning to her reverie. He leaned back, watching her face deep in thought and resting an arm on her stomach. He let out a small laugh when he felt it growling.

"I think it's time for dinner, love," he spoke softly.

"Is food all you ever think about?" she replied smiling.

"It's one of them."

"I think you can stop there. I don't fancy going mad at what goes on in that demented head of yours."

He laughed, moving to kiss her, "Come on, love, let's get something to eat."

The four of them sat down for dinner, ordering in seeing as Zavy and Brenden hadn't been here to keep the fridge stocked. They laughed at the swamp left behind for Umbridge, as well as the embarassment with Wheezes fireworks. They had few drinks, going over the memories of the last few years of Hogwarts. The DelCottas listened to the Weasley's speak of the first four years, right up until the time they met up with Brenden and Zavy. They laughed and yelled and enjoyed the time they spent together. The night began to drag on as they sat around the fire. Zavy and George laid on the couch together, Fred and Brenden on separate chairs across from them. No one sat in the favourite chair if Dumbledore, but the four of them stole glances in that general direction.

"It would appear you were expecting me," said Dumbledore, appearing with a loud crack.

Zavy smiled sitting up and running to give her god father a hug. Brenden stood behind her, following suit. Fred and George nodded at their old Headmaster, not really knowing what to say.

"You're not mad that we aren't at Grimauld Palace?" asked Zavy.

"On the contrary, the protecions placed on this flat are stronger than the ones at headquarters, of course there us no Fidelius Charm upon here, but no one really knows there is a flat here either. I suggest you not wander too far in Diagon Alley, enemies have ears everywhere."

"We didn't plan on staying long, just regrouping," said Brenden.

"I was hoping you would be making good on your plans for your next task. Have they been informed?"

"For the most part. I don't think that they fully understand the implications of it."

"But they can handle it," Zavy assured.

"Shall we depart so you guys can finish talking about us?" asked Fred.

"Or would you prefer we close our hands over our ears?" asked George.

Zavy smiled, going to sit on the couch, as her god father sat in his favourite chair. Brenden had also resumed his original seat.

"So it appears that the four of you will no longer be attending Hogwarts I gather," it was not a question, but a statement. The four youths were silent, perhaps feeling guilty at leaving the old man before finishing, "Knowing when one has over stayed their welcome is a very mature decision. You four should be safe here, but do stop by and see your mother before departing."

"Professor, mum's not about to let us leave her sight, let alone the country once she finds out we've ditched school," said George.

"Besides the idea of death eaters out there," added Fred.

Dumbledore smiled, "I shall see to it that your mother knows what is required of you. She may not like it, but as you will all come to discover, we are all compelled by necessity."

...

hello, i imagine you are all quite vexed with me. i suppose i'll just have to work extra hard to make it up to you, thanks so much! and i hope you all forgive me for the neglect


	43. Chapter 43

Zavy and Brenden found it hard to keep the boys from mischief in a place they obviously weren't comfortable in. It took them three days at least to leave Molly Weasley's grasp, and even then the DelCotta's were expecting her to put a stop to this at any moment.

Zavy and Brenden had constructed a room for Fred and changed the whole flat to express the twins instead of the DelCotta's. Fred and George had not touched Dumbledore's chair, and that made Zavy feel better for some reason. Brenden and Zavy figured that flying accross the ocean nondiscreet would be better the muggle way. Zavy went to work altering all their tell tale features. She made hair dye for all of them, Brenden going blonde, the twins becoming brunette and Zavy's hair becoming black. Since Zavy's eyes would change no matter what, the twins had enchanted a pair of fake glasses to change Brenden's abnormal amethyst eyes to a light brown colour. Zavy cut her hair short, giving herself side bangs, her hair now reaching just under her chin. As she remembered, George was a bit sullen about that, but understood why.

They converted their money to British pounds, getting to the muggle side and finding a completely different wardrobe. Fred and George were a bit awkward in Brenden's clothes, but they managed. They were all satisfied, knowing that should Voldemort himself look twice, they were all completely unrecognizable. The final preparations were made in a muggle hotel room. Zavy created passports with pseudo names and their current pictures. Every scrap of information on it was a lie, but that was the advantage of being a sorceress. An ordinary muggle would know their identification to be true.

And so the four of them sat in the airport, waiting for their flight to board. Fred and George were clearly uncomfortable in a complete muggle setting, but the DelCotta's guided them along smoothly. The return trip would be much better. Of course apparating would be the logical and easier thing to do, but one cannot apparate if they don't know where to apparate to. They all agreed that the only places Zavy and Brenden knew were too close to home, and therefore too dangerous to appear.

George fidgeted with his clothes and anything he could get his hands on. Fred mostly looked around nervously. They were finally called onto the plane and she noted the twins looked apprehensive about boarding. Zavy and George sat together behind Fred and Brenden. George kept pushing buttons while Zavy would absently take his hand away, her eyes never leaving her ordinary muggle book. Brenden pulled out a portable video game, which was taken by Fred in seconds. George stared at the muggle tv in front if him, quietly asking questions about it while Fred was outraged at losing his game but refusing to give up. Zavy and Brenden sighed. It was going to be a long flight.

They stayed in a muggle hotel in the northern part of Canada. The DelCottas rented a car, and the twins were even more uneasy about a moving vehicle that was completely backwards and didn't fly. Zavy tried to be understanding, but it was starting to get a bit on her nerves. It was hard to get someone used to a life they never knew. The DelCotta's felt a huge wave of relief when they had finaly checked into their hotel. One thing was for certain, they were happy to be back in their native land.

"How much further do we have to go?" asked Brenden while they ate some take out.

"According to the map Albus gave us, it's about a day's drive. The village is combined, muggles and magic people, very remote and hidden from the rest of the world. I imagine they'll stare at us pretty funny until they know what were looking for," replied Zavy, her eyes intent on the map spread out in front of her.

"Are all wizarding villages like that?" asked Fred.

"Can't say for sure, we've never been to any here before," replied Brenden.

"You reckon we'll find death eaters on this side of the world?" asked George.

"All depends on if Voldemort knows to find the seers. His attention will be focused on Harry's prophecy right now. We have our own."

"Amaranth will have wards to keep us out. We should be able to see through the barrier without much trouble. I think we should have our base camp there until we can find out more information," said Zavy.

"We'll be able to find things faster in alternative forms," said Brenden.

Zavy nodded, "You two will have to stay there, since you cannot change."

"Bollocks to that, I say we stick together," declared Fred.

"No one will recognize us as two wolves."

"It doesn't matter, love. You said it yourself, we'll stick out like a sore thumb. How are we going to explain your absence if they watch you?" George pointed out.

"He's right. We could change them," said Brenden.

"Have you ever done it before?" asked Zavy.

"No. Their transfigure magic isn't all that different though. We already know how to do it ourselves."

"Alright, but I don't like it. We've never practiced something like this before."

"I have the upmost faith in you. Didn't you turn one girl into a toad your first year?" asked Fred.

"What's this?" Brenden looked at his sister questioningly.

"Not exactly. I altered her face a bit, but most of it was just an illusion," replied Zavy calmly.

"She sure looked like a giant toad," said George.

"Of course she did. Illusions are easy."

"So why not just give us the illusion of a wolf and we'll stay with you?" asked Fred.

"It's not that easy, mate. How are you going to keep up with us? Do you know how bloody fast a wolf runs?" answered Brenden.

"Guess I hadn't thought of that."

"Clearly. Let's head towards Amaranth tomorrow. We can set up camp in the area and work on changing these two. Amaranth may be hidden to the eye, but a sharp nose should suffice if we hope to find it," said Zavy.

"Won't they find it odd that we know exactly where they are?" asked George.

"We can take care of that," assured Brenden.

George's thoughts were doubtful, but they were talking about a state of magic no ordinary witch or wizard could reach. If they could really pull this off, he could see exactly why Voldemort would want this limitless magic at his disposal. He decided he would have to keep an extra eye on Zavy, knowing that they would find her inferior.

They drove the next day all day. It was cold at night despite the early warnings of summer. They erected a wizard tent, seeing as it made traveling easier. Brenden decided that it would be too late to try experimenting on the twins. Traveling was tired business anyway, they had plenty of time to rest. The advantage to magic was the ability to shrink belongings and charm a bag to be endless. One could pack up their whole house and take it with them in just a small wallet. Zavy was having trouble with her hair. It was constantly in her face and too short to put up. It was no wonder she never got it cut too short. She concentrated on her head and muttered "grow" under her breath. The twins were a little startled when they saw the black locks start to grow, stopping at her shoulders. Once the initial shock was over, Zavy recalled a look of approval upon George's face. Evidently, he liked her hair long.

"Does the length of my hair really bother you?" asked Zavy while they laid in a cornered off section of the tent.

"You can wear your hair however you like, love. But when it's short, I can't play with it as much," he replied, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head, running his finger through the silky black locks. He missed her little curls, she had been keeping it straight, changing her whole appearance. She was still Zavy to him, always as beautiful.

"I was hoping you weren't all that concerned with trivial things."

"You should know me by now, love," he kept his voice soft, making her head swim, "Can you really change us into wolves?"

"Of course. Can't you transfigue people into animals? If I remember correctly, it is how that Malfoy git became ferret boy."

"I forgot about all that. Being here's really messed with my brain."

"It'll wear off."

"I wish I could see your home."

"I've already figured as wolves we could have a look."

"I don't know, love. It sounds dangerous."

"Trust me."

Zavy, Brenden, Fred and George stood together in the forest. Zavy smiled at her boyfriend who stood in front of her. She closed her eyes then, reaching her mind out to George. She linked it with his, and he seemed completely confused. She did it gently, not wanting to alarm him.

-Relax, love. I won't hurt you- she spoke.

"I know that," he replied out loud.

-Think what you want to say in your mind-

-Bloody hell, this is odd-

-Much better. Now, just relax. This is going to feel strange at first. Don't try to fight me, try to follow what I'm doing-

-Alright-

Zavy formed the image of a wolf in her mind. While she was more into a white wolf, she knew that George would prefer a different colour. As soon as she was finished, she noticed there was one problem with it. The wolf was female. It was bad enough that he would be changing form, let alone genders. Thankfully, she had a brother who could reach minds. He altered her silver wolf from male to female, and finally she was ready to begin.

It was strange, for both of them. Zavy had invaded George's awareness and commanded his body as if it were her own. She had changed form before, but it was incredibly strange to feel the same sensations and nothing happening to her own body. When she opened her eyes, she was glad to see that she hadn't screwed up. George looked up at her expectantly, making some whining noises.

"Stop that," she chided gently. She looked over and saw Fred had successfully been changed into a black timber wolf. They looked calm and Zavy took that to be a good sign. She nodded at Brenden, and the two of them changed form.

Zavy raised her muzzle to the air. She caught the scents of people about. That was a good sign, they were closer than previously thought.

"Let's run, I want to stretch my legs," said Zavy in the language of the wolves.

George was surprised that he could understand her. He wasn't nearly as freaked out as he thought he would be, but he suspected that was the wolf's mind. He ran after Zavy, and that's when he started to have trouble. His tail was a constant hinderance, making it hard to catch up with Zavy and Brenden. Fred appeared to be having trouble as well, and it made George feel less foolish. Zavy circled round, coming to stand between them. They all stopped and then she started them off at a trot.

"Use your tail for leverage, and to turn sharp corners," she advised, showing them as they started to lope.

Once George had gotten the hang of it, he managed to catch up to Zavy. She nipped at his shoulder and then dashed off. George knew exactly what that meant, chasing after her. He had to admit, it was a fine thing to be a wolf, and Zavy was a very good looking wolf. But they couldn't play forever.

The four wolves padded along, using the scents they had found in the beginning. As they got closer, Zavy could start to sense magic about. It wasn't as powerful as she thought it would be, seeing as it didn't do much to keep people out. It was ordinary muggle's they were trying to keep out. Some muggle's just couldn't handle this kind if knowledge. At least now, they would know how to get in. They separated, getting in closer to get an idea of what kind of people they would be dealing with.

"Weather's awfully strange these days," said a young man as the sun was starting to set.

"The seers seem to think something big is going to happen," said the lady beside him. Zavy stopped, her ears perking up.

"The seers have been saying that for years," the boy scoffed.

"When have you known them to be wrong?"

"I suppose you're right. Come on babe, let's go home."

Zavy loped away, getting what she needed. She met at the rendevous spot, which was where they left the car they rented. She didn't have to wait too long for the others to show up, and then her and her brother changed back to their forms. They used the same process to reverse the change on the twins.

"I think I fancy the tail," said Fred.

"You've always got to be careful when changing forms. If you stay a wolf for too long, you might end up staying that way," said Breden.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I take it you found something?" Brenden looked at Zavy.

She nodded, "I'm sure we all figured out we can get into the village. I heard a bloke and his lady talkin' about seers. We're on the right track."

"So what now then? We just go up and start asking around?" asked George.

"Not exactly. Brenden and I have a way of picking the thoughts out of people's heads. We just need to circulate, and the two of us should be able to find what we need."

"That right? I can only imagine some of the things you found in my head," said Fred.

"I've said it before, I don't fancy going mad at the things I could find in a demented head."

"Awe, you don't mean that. You're just saying it to make me feel better," Fred winked. Zavy glared at him, but then giggled in spite of herself.

The drive into Amaranth was unnerving to say the least. Village was an understatement, it was more like a small town. People stared of course, but Zavy paid them no mind as she drove to the nearest motel. Fred and George stared around at the onlookers, not quite sure what to think. Zavy walked up to the front desk unphased, her head held high as if she had lived her her whole life. Brenden was more casual, and it made the twins feel inadequate. They should be better at sneaking around, but they had never done it in the open before. Zavy and Brenden took it to a whole new level, making more into an art.

"We'll need your finest suite," said Zavy.

"How long will you be staying?" asked the lady behind the desk.

"A week or so."

"Alright. What brings you to Canada? You are English if my ears aren't mistaken, though your accent is a bit off."

"Oh, we've just been traveling the world. You see, school is finally out and we wanted to do something before we settle in our lives."

"I hear you there. I take it from the lack of luggage you'll be paying with gold instead of dollars?"

"Sharp eye you've got. What do you reccommend for tourists?" asked Zavy, handing over enough gold for the week.

"Ain't much here. Hiking is probably the main thing to do, but that's a front for the muggle's who get passed our wards. Witches like yourself come for the seers, wanting to know their future."

"Hiking don't sound all that bad. Whereabouts are the seers?"

"Quite aways at the mountain summit to the west."

Zavy smiled, "Thanks. I'll go get settled, and then perhaps we can discuss a spot of lunch."

"I'll show you to your room," the young lady got out from behind the desk. She carried a key in her hand, leading them up the stairs and to the left. She opened the massive double doors and stepped out of the way, "Don't be afraid to ask if you need anything," were her last words before going back to her desk.

Zavy could tell that Fred and George were much more comfortable in a wizard setting. They looked much more at ease in this room than they had the whole trip.

"Have we really developed an accent?" asked Zavy.

"We've been in England for six years. We may never have a full one, but it was bound to catch on," Brenden supplied.

"I suppose you're right. When I heard this place was hidden, I did not expect them to have frequent tourists."

"Kind of strange, innit?" agreed George.

"After the giants last year, I'll take an easy task any day," said Brenden.

"Well, gentlemen, I am going to have a bath in that massive tub," Zavy declared.

"That sounds delightful. I volounteer to wash your back," said George, grinning at her.

"Oi, get a room!" Fred called to their retreating backs.

Zavy turned to look at him, "But Fred, this is a room," she told him innocently. Fred made overdramatic vomiting noises while Brenden laughed. Zavy smiled, continuing on her journey.


End file.
